The Washington herald., 1922-03-26
DAILY MOTOR CAR
THEFT AVERAGES
BEAT ALL OTHERS
Interstate Motor Theft
Commissions Records
Show Startling Sum.
LOCKS INADEQUATE.
Lax Methods of Ownership
Transfer Leads to
Forgeries.

Motor car theft losses in the
United States every twenty-four
hours are placed by officials Of the
Interstate Motor Theft Commission
at more than S3o0, 0O0-a startling
average Of s100.000.000 yearly-a
sum equal!-if not greater than the
aggregate loss by theft Of all other
kinds of property.
This evil. which retards the pro-
gressive advance of almost every
phase and branch of the motor car
industry, imposes a burdensome liza
ollity upon owners, and a great deal
OF work and expense upon police
and State departments, is today one
Of the most profitable forms of law
lessness.
Many laws to check the motor
car theft and fraud evil have been
enacted. The majority of them
carry heavy penalties for violators
and although many arrests are
made throughout the country. con-
Victions seem difficult to secure; in
any event, fewer than should be
are accomplished and no perceptible
slackening Of this lawlessness in
general is apparent.
The wide variety of locks in use,
while having some retarding effect
upon Joy riders and amateur
thieves, seems to be inadequate pro-
lection against professional thieves.
who, as rule. are skilled mechanics
cleverly adept in picking. break
ing or overcoming locks or other
protective devices.
State and city registrations and
cards of Identification have brought
little relief. due briefly to the lack
OF a national clearance system.
which leaves 1t a comparatively easy
matter to alter the number and ap-
pearance of stolen cars and register
them without detection.
Among the many factors that
largely contribute to making the
theft and sale Of motor vehicles a
very profitable enterprise are:
Garages where cars can be safely
stored and sold.
Secondhand car dealers who con-
done lax methods or who are dis
honest and act as fences for stolen
cars.
The accessibility of Interstate
travel due to good roads.
The increasing number of cars
sach year.
Lax and unstandardized methods
OF transfer OF ownership of motor
vehicles.
The ease with which numbers and
appearance of cars can be altered,
due to lack OF any national clear
ance system
Lax and unstandardized methods
of transfer of ownership of motor
vehicles are, without doubt. the
main basic factors largely support
ing all others in providing a mar
ket for stolen cars. Bills of sale
can be easily faxed or forged and
even though received from a friend
or reputable dealer, they do not
prove that the car was not stolen
some time in its past or sold while
under mortgage, perhaps unknown
to the last vendor.
1t seems apparent that no real
measure of relief can be expected,
present laws. locks and other pro-
tectiye devices Notwithstanding, as
long as there is a ready market for
stolen cars Therefore, II becomes
highly important that all efforts be
centered on the destruction of this
market.
The investigation conducted by
the Interstate Motor Theft Commits
sion disclosed that the best IL not
the only logical way effectively to
destroy the market for stolen cars
is to standardize Transfer of owner
ship through a national clearance
system.
Therefore. among the main tunc-
tions of the commission will be the
operation of a national clearance
system (perfected with the aid of
experts in crime prevention and
other authorities). providing for
records of motor car registration,
stolen cars. sales transactions,
mortgage and lien records and other
important data. which will, among
other things, make 1t possible to
prevent to a large degree, the reg
istration. sale or use OF stolen or
mortgaged car without detection
anywhere in the United States by
providing accurate means for quick
" detecting changes, alterations in
the numerical or physical identifi-
cation of a car. forged or faxed bills
Of sale or mortgage releases and
other elements Of fraud
It will also provide accurate
means for locating a great majori-
~ OF the uncovered cars stolen in
the past few years. that are still in
operation in the United States, as
well as any car that may be stolen
in the future.
This Standardization york, to be
carried on py inc COMMISSION, VIII
not entail any radical changes. red
tape, complication or other demon
aIizing disruption OF established
procedure or routine.
Coincident with other work. the
commission will render any assist
ance possible to Americas 10000. 900
motor car owners and all others
concerned in, or allied with. the mo-
. tor car industry. by helping to ad-
vance uniformity in usages. laws
and practices and secure proper
consideration and concentration Of
opinion upon all questions having to