Auto Related Crimes

Suspicious Activity & Behaviors Indicators - Auto Related Crimes

In Texas a vehicle is burglarized every 2.5 minutes and stolen every 5 minutes.

Behavior that may indicate a potential car burglary or auto theft:

Person(s) looking inside vehicle windows or trying to pull on vehicle door handles, then looking to see if anyone is watching them. This is suspicious at any location, but it is particularly unusual activity in unattended parking lots and garages.
Bumping the vehicle to see if the vehicle has an alarm.
Someone breaking car windows or using tools to defeat the locking mechanisms to enter the vehicle.
Someone taking items (GPS/Car Radios/Video Screens) from a vehicle and loading them in an awaiting vehicle.

"Chop Shops” are locations where stolen cars are stripped for parts. Here are some possible indicators of a chop shop operation:

Vehicles being brought into a residential garage or yard but not leaving
Vehicles being “worked on” in the back yard of a private residence, especially at night or in the early morning hours
A truck or trailer hauling off miscellaneous vehicle parts from a residence
Vehicles concealed by tall privacy fences (the fences provide anonymity) may indicate a location is involved in a “chop shop” operation.
Vehicles disassembled or missing parts that are located in storage or warehouse locations might be an indicator of a “chop shop”.