Cops ask public to join in effort to curb car theft

Jen Lawson

Friday, May 2, 2003 | 9:59 a.m.

Sgt. Al Bechyne of Metro Police's auto theft unit has equipped his personal 1998 GMC truck with a kill switch, an alarm system and the Club anti-theft device.

In contrast, 31 percent of Americans don't bother to lock their cars, according to Metro.

"Am I paranoid? Probably," Bechyne said. "But I've talked to these car thieves in jail and they've told me how they've stolen cars."

A vehicle is stolen every 40 minutes in Las Vegas, according to Metro, and the crime has increased 22 percent over the past two years.

During the month of May, law enforcement authorities across the Las Vegas Valley will be rolling out a public awareness program aimed at putting the brakes on vehicle theft.

"We're asking the public to assist us in preventing their car from being stolen," said Capt. Terry Mayo of Metro's financial property crimes bureau.

Auto theft is a $7.5 billion business, Mayo said, and if it was ranked in the Fortune 500, it would be No. 33 on the list.

Metro and Henderson police are joining the voluntary National Watch Your Car program, in which car owners display a decal and sign an agreement stating that the vehicle is not normally driven between the hours of 1 and 5 a.m. The owner may consent to have the car stopped if it's being driven between those hours.

Police also will be continuing their "bait car" program, which has been around for several years.

Cars donated to Metro by insurance companies and equipped with global positioning systems, video cameras and motion sensors are parked on the streets and in parking lots in high-theft areas. When the vehicle is stolen, police are notified and the tracking system will lead officers to the vehicle.

Metro has four bait cars and Henderson has one, Bechyne said.

Posters and letters giving tips on how to prevent car theft will be popping up in convenience stores and in utility bills, police said.

Clark County School District Police are also included in the anti-theft effort. Chief Elliot Phelps said officers find about one stolen car per week at schools.

"Juveniles and stolen cars are like ice cream and cake. They go together," Phelps said.

Often juveniles begin stealing cars for joyriding, then move onto stealing them and selling parts for profit, Phelps said. School District police are stepping up efforts in searching for stolen cars on school property and trying to tease out information from students.

Six teens were arrested in the northwest area of Las Vegas last week for breaking into 16 cars and stealing six -- mainly Mitsubishis, Bechyne said. The ringleader was a 16-year-old who had come to Las Vegas from Phoenix, where he had also stolen cars, Bechyne said.

Metro's four auto theft detectives handle 1,200 stolen vehicles a month, Bechyne said. Vehicles are mostly stolen from shopping centers, malls and casinos.

The northwest area between the 2700 block of Rainbow Boulevard to Cheyenne Avenue is a high-theft area, as well as West Sahara Avenue near Decatur Boulevard, police warn.

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