The New York herald., 1920-12-04
INSURANCE MEN
COMBINE TO END
MOTOR THEFTS
Annual Loss Is $27, 900. 900
in New York City Alone,
Say Estimates.
rs CARS STOLEN DAILY
Automobile Underwater
Detective Bureau VIII
Spend S25O,OO0 a Year.
THIEVES GETTING BOLDER
Mystery in Ultimate Destina-
tiOn Of Thousands of
Stolen Cars.

In an effort to end automobile thefts
in New York city, which have reached
such proportions as to entail prop
erty loss estimated yesterday at more
than S27 7.000, 900 a year. insurance com
panies have organized the Automobile
Underwriters Detective Bureau. The
bureau, which will cost the insurance
companies $25O,O0O annually, will
cover the entire East but its principal
work will be in New York.
Records of the Police Department,
made public yesterday for the first
time, show to what a tremendous ex-
tent the business of stealing automo-
biles has progressed in New York.
These records. taken day by day for
the month of November, show that an
average of seventy to seventy-fve cars
day are driven from their stands at
the street curb by some one other than
their owners. The same records show
that of these daily thefts only twenty
covered by the police.
Automobile thieves have become so
bold that they no longer take trouble to
disguise stolen cars. an insurance adj
juster said. They slap on new number.
drive to Philadelphia or Boston and sell
to the first bidder for $500 or $500. The
buyer gets bill Of sale, takes out a
new license and one more car is added
to the missing list.
1880 Car Thefts In Year.
At a rate Of fifty cars day in New
York that are not recovered the total
stolen for the year will be 1880. Fix
ing the average value at sf,5oO the total
value will be $27.375.00o About 5000
cars were stolen in 1919.
On behalf of the police it may be said
that the month of November shows the
greatest number of arrests and convic-
tions of automobile thieves on record.
The department evidently is awake TO
the alarming increase and the automo-
bile squad has been enlarged. There are
now eighteen detectives under Lieut..
John Fitzpatrick whose entire time Is
devoted 10 motor car thefts.
Despite this activity. however. the
thieves continue to reap rich harvest
The new bureau OF the underwriters IS
engaged in collecting data and classify
ing stolen cars. IL win employ about
$50 trained detectives, 100 of whom viii
work in and around New York. About
$50 insurance companies. all OF which
have been hard hit. are back Of the un-
dertaking.
II X were possible, insurance men
said the companies would eliminate au-
tomoble theft policies altogether Their
losses this year are enormous and in
part, M was pointed out yesterday. il is
their own fault for being too indul'
gent"
Made Careless by Insurance.
Persons who are insured for the full
value OF their cars cannot be made to
take precautions. Frequently they well
come the loss. especially when the auto
mobile. like Potash and Perlmutter's, has
become more of a liability than an
asset"
There were 171.53sl automobiles reg
istered in New York city in 1919. Tie
number this year will run over 100000
and about 60 per cent. OF these are in
sured The policy covers fire. theft,
damage from collision and personal
liability. Car owners are pledged when
they take out policy to keep their
cars locked when they leave them stand
ing on the street
What becomes OF the thousands of
oars that disannear9
"If you could answer that question.
an insurance adjuster told a reporter
for THE New YoRK HERALD, ''t would
be worth $1,000. 900 to you. I have been
in this business ever since automobiles
were invented and ] don't know where
these stolen cars go any more than
you do"
The best results IN recovering stolen
automobiles. the adiusteft said are Oh
tained by advertising IN the newspapers
A reward usually. about 20 per cent o'
the value OF the ear is offered for In
formation leading 10 its recovery ana
the arrest OF the thief. number OF
persons, mechanics. garage helpers. &c.
are making quite profitable business
OF watching the motor numbers on all
strange cars and comparing them with
numbers advertised