Starting on June 8, they will respond in person to such crimes in the city. In a major shift in how police deal with auto theft, one of the city's most widespread and persistent crime problems, Philadelphia police soon will respond in person to each report of a stolen car rather than simply take information over the phone. The change, scheduled to begin June 8, is meant to give people confidence that the Police Department is working hard to serve them, said Police Commissioner John F. Timoney, who announced the change yesterday. It is also meant to crack down on false theft reports filed to defraud insurers. Timoney said at a news conference.
Police acknowledge that the numbers have understated the problem for several years.
Auto thefts have fallen by more than half since 1992 in New York. Police attribute the drop in part to a policy of dispatching an officer to investigate every stolen car. Timoney, a former first deputy police commissioner in New York, said research had shown that 20 percent of reported car thefts in the city were frauds in which the alleged victims were trying to escape lease or car payments. He said the arrival of an investigating police officer usually put a deep chill into that scam. If Timoney makes a dent in car theft, it would likely drive down Philadelphia's overall crime rate.