Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-05-13

and he had better report the theft 10
the police department He thanks
them and never suspects that they are
the thieves. by the time the police
have his report the stolen car is safely
Undergoing the necessary changes TO
escape identity. IL is then taken to
the dealer wanting the car and sold.
Now Just how are we to aid the
police departments in recovering lost
or stolen cars when II is going on in
such a wholesale manner There are
numerous locking devices on the mar
ket today. devices for checking the
flow of gasoline 10 the carburetor. de-
vices for locking the ignition switch:
devices for locking the control levers,
etc, yet none is sufficient TO keep
thieves from working around them
/ Therefore, some other means must be
employed.
Detailed Identification.
Detailed Identification offers a pos
sibility BY this is meant identiflca-
ton OF every part of the car. Every
motor car manufacturer hasa system
OF marking the various parts that
enter into the assembly of his car
Usually q system OF numbers is used
and every part has its number. II the
police and detectives could be taught
motor car design so that they might
become familiar with the places where
the Identification numbers may be
found on the various parts OF the diff
ferent makes of cars hurried exam
lnaton OF suspected car might reveal
its Identity, even tho the car had
undergone complete transformation
as described above, because in nearly
nf "A fra Of mn In
there would be most likely one or more
Of the manufacturers numbers that
would be overlooked in REMEMBERING
or that would simply be painted over.
one such number would serve as suf-
ficient Identification to return the car
to It's owner.
AS things arc today, there are but
two numbers on an automobile that
the owner and police know anything
about These two numbers are the
car number and the motor number.
Both are required when obtaining "A
license from the secretary Of state.
After this they are usually ofrsotten.
Even the Identification card given the
owner at the time of obtaining the Ii
conse is often lost. SO the owner OF
a stolen car Is helpless to identify his
own car by number, and the police
are likewise helpless because they
can obtain no numbers without great
loss Of time.
Now, If police department. had
records of all numbers on each of the
individual cars registered in their
state. and further could obtain simi-
lar records from other states, II
would aid considerably in recovering
stolen cars, because. even tho the
thieves are clever enough 10 wipe out
most of the numbers, II stands to rea-
son that there would be few OF the
original numbers left on the machine,
even tho covered with paint
by some means, then, the right
influence must be brought to bear 50
that owners shall be required to OBJ
tain from the factories all the num-
bers on their cars and register these
numbers with the secretary of state
when their license is granted. The
training of the police and detectives In
locating numbers will take much time
and sikh. but it can be done, and by
and skill, but it can be done, and by
OF the departments with regard to re-
covery of stolen cars from its present
standard of so per cent or 70 per cent
to nearly 100 per cent"