Car thieves want more than the wheels

It is perhaps surprising that vehicle crime i.e. thefts of and from cars, has consistently fallen over the years. This is undoubtedly down to the improved security of the modern car and public awareness of the need to make sure all belongings are locked away and not visible to thieves. The Office of National Statistics says that a vehicle owning household is around four time less likely to be a victim of vehicle related theft in 2012 than in 1995. So no need to worry? There were still over 30,000 incidents of vehicle crime in May this year and as car security has improved over the years, so thieves have become more innovative in the way they operate. To circumvent the security system of the vehicle they now attempt to steal the keys from the car owner’s house! They will even steal cars to order, so top of the range luxury vehicles and sports cars are much sought after. It is not only the car itself that is of interest, but also but also things attached to it, like badges, wheels and even number plates. Even number plates? It is a fact that we are never far away from a closed circuit television camera as we walk around a town or city, and equally our vehicles are monitored during a journey. Petrol stations, bus lanes, the London congestion zone are all monitored by cameras, as well as our old friend the speed camera. The reason for this monitoring is to identify any transgression, and of course the way a vehicle is most obviously identified is by the licence plate. One thing is sure, the stolen number plate is not going to be used on a vehicle that is used for innocent purposes more information. It could be used on a getaway car, to avoid speeding fines, to steal fuel from a petrol station or any number of nefarious activities. When the car bearing the number plate is identified as being used for illegal activity, it is unfortunately the registered owner of the number plate who will be the first port of call for the investigating authorities. So what can be done to prevent number plate theft, outside of mounting a 24 hour guard! Number Plate Security Screws Part of the problem is the ease with which number plates can be removed. Usually just removing four screws means the number plate can be taken off and used elsewhere, so the answer is to fit tamper resistant screws to replace the original fittings. A number plate security screw is a one way fixing which means it can be screwed in but cannot be unscrewed. This is achieved by what is known as a clutch head, where the screwdriver only engages with the head of the screw in one direction and has no effect when turning the opposite way. Made from stainless steel this type of screw is corrosion resistant as well and coloured cover caps are normally available to match the number plate design. The AA has reported that there were 40,000 cases of number plate theft in 2012, and that the incident rates for this type of crime had more than doubled over the preceding five years, so it is a significant problem. Some police forces have initiatives to supply tamper resistant screws to motorists in an effort to cut down on number plate theft. Fitting this type of screw to your number plate will ensure that it is not used as a disguise by somebody carrying out a ram raid somewhere and the law knocking at your door looking for answers!