Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Crime down nearly 30 percent; Waterford only city to see uptick

By EMILIE RAGUSO
eraguso@modbee.com

last updated: September 03, 2008 12:22:02 PM

With 2008 more than half over, vehicle thefts are down throughout almost the entire county.

Waterford is the only exception, with just four more cars stolen this year through July than during the first seven months of 2007.

The cities of Modesto and Turlock, and the unincorporated areas patrolled by the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department, have seen reductions of nearly 30 percent. With auto thefts dropping steadily since January, officials are cautiously optimistic.

California Highway Patrol Sgt. Rick Gilstrap said the statistics are looking pretty good.

"We're hoping to see our reduction keep going down," said Gilstrap, who runs the Stanislaus County Auto Theft Task Force. "We certainly don't want to be No. 1 again."

Stanislaus County ranked first in the nation this year for the number of car thefts per capita, according to a report released in April by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. In 2007, Stanislaus County had dropped to fifth place, with 28 percent fewer stolen vehicles than in 2006. Before that, the county held the No. 1 spot for three years.

The city of Modesto has more vehicles stolen than any other area in the county. This year, 959 vehicles were taken through July. Last year during the same period, 1,366 cars were nabbed. That's nearly a 30 percent drop, Gilstrap said. But one or two prolific thieves could make the numbers jump 10 percent to 12 percent in a single month.

Gilstrap said Fresno and San Joaquin counties also are seeing decreases.

Thieves don't want to be in the paper

There likely are multiple reasons for the drop in numbers, he said.

Bail has been increased to $40,000 for people arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft, he said. Also, convicted thieves face a minimum of 180 days in jail, compared with the old days when sentences often were 36 months on probation.

But task force members say they consistently hear another reason thefts are down.

"They don't care about the $40,000 bail. They don't care about jail," Gilstrap said. "They just really don't want their picture in the paper. They hate that. That's been a big help to us as well."

Photographs of suspected car thieves appear in The Bee each Saturday.

People more cautious with their cars

Gilstrap also credits the public with being more cautious. In the past, people were quicker to leave the car running when they ran into a store for an errand, he said. No more.

"Because of the publicity around the auto theft problem, people are more aware," he said. "When people start realizing we are No. 1 in the nation, they know they can't just leave the engine running. We're not seeing it as much as before."

The task force still uses bait cars around the county.

"We have made quite a few arrests in which the crooks tell us they won't touch a car with the keys in it or the engine running for fear that it is a bait car," Gilstrap wrote in a recent e-mail to The Bee.

Having fewer cars stolen means that officers can target their efforts more.

"If we see a concentration of stolen cars, we can backtrack that and develop a pattern," Gilstrap said. "It's a little easier for us to get the more aggressive thief."

Gilstrap said people still should be vigilant about locking their cars and, as cooler weather approaches, not leaving running vehicles unattended to warm up the engines.

Older model Hondas and Nissans remain popular targets for thieves. Chevy trucks are gaining in popularity.

Modesto Police Chief Roy Wasden said the dropping numbers have been a team effort.

"The officers are working very hard and the community is paying more attention," he said. "I'm happy that fewer families are being victimized. It's a truly traumatic thing for a family to have their car stolen."

Bee staff writer Emilie Raguso can be reached at eraguso@modbee.com or 578-2235.

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