It s like an epidemic. It s happening so frequently we don t have enough officers and so quickly that even with twice the number of officers, it still wouldn t stop. Possibly making the problem worse is that the thieves aren t choosy. Many seem to prefer pickup trucks, but no car is safe. We go from the 72 Toyota to the 2001 Chevy truck.
Police believe they can combat some of the thefts by raising awareness.
Officers in Tempe have been giving out steering wheel locks to apartment tenants who attend crime prevention meetings at their complexes. Scott, who replaced his car shortly after the theft in September, has certainly learned. At work at a strip mall, he parks his shiny black Audi in front of the door. He skipped the expensive stereo and alarm this time, however. J. Foster Co.