In 2023, a vehicle in the US was stolen every 32 seconds, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Everyone should have heard of the 9PM Routine by now, and that is NOT what this article is about. You should not have to be told to Lock Your Doors, Take Your Valuables Inside, and Don’t Leave Your Keys In Your Car at your home. Instead of talking about the obvious, I would like to share a couple unique ways criminals have targeted victims for car theft in the Northeast where I work. I can also GUARANTEE that it doesn’t matter what part of the country you live in, the same techniques are being used all over the country. If you would like to hear about some of these techniques, so you can minimize your chances of being a victim, Please Read On. The events I am describing below are real events, and are based on my own personal experiences in Law Enforcement.
#1. DISTRACTION THEFT
Let me describe the brief facts of this case. I want you to imagine this is you, and then ask yourself honestly, if you would’ve done anything differently? A woman is driving her vehicle down a state road during normal traffic flow. As she stops for a red light, a vehicle behind her hits her lightly from behind, then backs up a few feet. The woman is frazzled, and exits her vehicle to #1, Inspect the damage to her car, and #2, To make contact with the driver that struck her vehicle. There are 3 occupants in the vehicle, and two exit the car to speak with her. A third remains in the offending vehicle. It appears as a simple fender bender, and she does exactly what would be the common human reaction - Check for injuries of those involved, check for damage to her vehicle, call a friend, family member or police while trying to figure out what to do next.
As one of the occupants spoke with her and distracted her, the second occupant that was out of the car, simply got into this woman’s driver’s seat from her still open car door, and drove off, stealing her vehicle. As she turned to see what happened to her car, the other occupant got back into his vehicle and the driver of that vehicle also drove off at a high rate of speed. All this took place in less than 45 seconds. She did not get a good look at the suspects, and did not get a license plate of the suspect vehicle.
Eventually the woman’s vehicle was sold on facebook marketplace, found out to be stolen and we worked the case backwards from there. We identified all three suspects, and two provided confessions to us. In their confession, it was determined that at the time of this theft, they were driving another stolen vehicle from another state. They left their state, crossed the border to my state where they were less known, with the intent to steal another car. They actively drove around looking for an easy target with only one occupant inside to fake a fender bender collision, knowing most will exit their vehicle while leaving their car unlocked and engine still running. They knew if they bumped the vehicle lightly, the normal human response would be that the occupant would exit her vehicle, giving them time to jump in and steal the car. It’s as simple as that, and this takes place every day throughout this country on roads and in parking lots. Criminals commonly use techniques to place unsuspecting citizens in an unfamiliar scenario where our responses and human reactions are more predictable. This makes us easy to exploit.
Now that you are aware of this technique, what can you do to prevent this from happening to you?
- If you are in an accident, and exiting your vehicle as would be expected, shut your engine off and take the keys / keyfob with you. This simple step would most likely have prevented this theft from ever happening
- If you have your purse in the vehicle, and that is where your keyfob is, remove the keyfob, exit the car and press the lock button. It takes you about a second to lock your car, and who cares what the stranger behind you thinks about it.
- Do not call a friend, family member, or your insurance company. CALL THE POLICE at the onset of this event, and then tell the occupants of the other vehicle that you have already called the police to respond.
If you are aware that Distraction Thefts like this occur, and you follow these three tips, you will have significantly reduced your chances of becoming their next victim. Most likely, if this was an attempt to distract you and steal your car, the suspects will simply flee and evade the scene. It is better to have your car with a few scratches on it, rather than be left stranded roadside, with no car! It goes without saying that if the suspects were planning on car-jacking you or taking the vehicle from you by force or under threat, remember, it is just property that can be replaced and your life is more valuable than your car.
#2. GAS STATION THEFTS:
There have been so many news articles on this next section, but I am constantly surprised when I talk about this to friends or family, that so many are unaware this is happening. As you read about this scenario, ask yourself again, what are you doing when you stop to fill up your car with gasoline?
Filling up your gas tank is such a common routine for drivers that most of us are talking to ourselves, daydreaming, watching traffic pass, all while being oblivious to most of what’s happening around us. You’re not to blame for this, it’s human nature. We all become complacent in places that feel comfortable to us, and generally filling up gasoline in your car rarely ends with any problems so in our subconscious minds, it’s a safe zone. Unfortunately the car thieves know this, and have been exploiting people all over the country with this technique.
Here is the scenario: You drive up to the fuel pump and park at the next open spot. There may be other vehicles parked at other pumps, but since this is expected and normal, you pay no attention to vehicles around you. You shut your engine off, leave your key in the ignition, on your seat or the key fob in the vehicle or your purse, and exit the car. You don’t have any concerns, since you are literally going to be right next to your car. Whether your gas tank is on the driver’s side or passenger side, the first thing you are going to do is turn your back to your unlocked car, and start entering your credit card/debit card to pay at the pump. Then you need to enter your pin, say yes or no to a receipt, yes or no to a carwash after at some locations, and then choose your grade of fuel. This can take anywhere from 10-30 seconds. During this time, that car that was next to you that you assumed was also getting fuel, was actually waiting for you to exit the vehicle and look in your passenger seat and see if your keys/keyfob were visible. If so, that suspect will enter your car, shut the door, start it and drive away all in about 5 seconds before you ever knew what happened. This same type of activity is used regularly to steal valuables from your car such as purses, laptops, cell phones. They simply wait until you are at the fuel pump focused on that, look into your window and if they see valuables, they can open your door and steal these items in seconds without you ever knowing it happened until you got back into your car.
How can you prevent this from happening?
- Be aware of your surroundings when you arrive. Is a car parked there but nobody is out pumping gas? Is the engine running, and occupants are just sitting inside?
- RED FLAG - If you see someone in the parking lot or inside a vehicle wearing a hat or hoodie, AND/OR having a mask or balaclava type mask on, this is a RED FLAG. In my world, unless it is extremely cold outside or the person appears to be of a certain religious faith, the only other reason someone would be covering most of their face is to HIDE THEIR IDENTITY. The COVID 19 Pandemic turned mask wearing into the norm for a long time. Criminals all through the country exploited this and committed crimes all over the place in plain view of witnesses, employees, victims and video cameras knowing they would be hard to identify if masked up. It appears as most businesses are now afraid to set policies preventing people from coming into businesses such as banks, convenience stores, etc, wearing masks that hide their identity. This is certainly not illegal and everyone’s right to dress as they choose, but YOU should consider this a red flag and be more aware if you see this.
- The amount of video of people in masks inside stores trying to use stolen credit cards is going to crash the cloud someday!
- DO NOT leave your keys in your unlocked car while you pump your gas. Take them with you and put them in your pocket or hold them in your hand. If you have any valuables in your car, cell phone, purse, laptop, etc, LOCK YOUR DOOR with the keys you took with you. It’s one click of a button for you to get back when you are done.
- Watch for any cars that suddenly pull up next to you for any occupants that exit and walk towards your car. Being aware of your surroundings is something you need to teach yourself to do regularly.
These two scenarios should become something you remember in your daily routine, and you should share your knowledge with other friends and family, or send them the link to this free article. My website here, and my Etsy Store BTBPoliceGifts.Etsy.com were created out of 30+ years of law enforcement experience working in specialized units (Criminal Investigations Unit, Narcotics Unit, Traffic Accident Reconstruction) as an investigative role and a supervisor. I currently still supervise specialized units in my agency, and have begun to create safety blogs for both families of police as well as the great citizens who back the blue. Check back in with me for more safety tips, or enter your email for updates to new products and newly released safety articles.
If you looking for ways to Back The Blue, check out my Thin Blue Line Garden Flags in my store. You can hang a flag and let the police in your community know you support them!
Take care and stay safe out there,
Mike P, Owner and Operator of BTP Police Gifts