1. Class Name, Instructor Name
Lasley & Guskos, Criminal Investigation: An Illustrated Case Study Approach 1ed
Chapter 15
VEHICLE THEFT SCENES
Class Name, Instructor Name
Date, Semester

2. CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
Describe the crime of motor vehicle theft and how motor vehicle theft investigations are conducted
Be familiar with the various reasons for committing vehicle theft
Know the methods of vehicle break-ins and thefts
Know common types of vehicle fraud and how they are carried out

3. Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
Describe the crime of motor vehicle theft and how motor vehicle theft investigations are conducted

4. Investigations

5. Grand Theft Auto Defined
Individuals who remove, steal, or drive a vehicle without first obtaining the owner’s permission have committed motor vehicle theft.

6. State Laws Regarding Stolen Vehicles
Vehicle Chop Shop and Altered Property Laws: prohibit the operation of a chop shop or other facility that engages in the dismantling of stolen vehicles or the alteration of stolen vehicles or their parts.
Salvage Certificate Fraud Laws: prohibit junk yards, salvagers, or other vehicle recyclers from creating fake or fraudulent titles on vehicles declared a “total loss” by insurance companies—which are often later used by thieves who sell stolen cars or misrepresent junked vehicles as undamaged vehicles.
Vehicle Owner Fraud Laws: prohibit vehicle owners from filing false theft reports or engaging in other activities classified as insurance fraud to obtain monetary settlements for vehicles they cannot sell or otherwise cannot afford.

7. Chop Shop

8. Federal Laws Regarding Stolen Vehicles
Making it a federal offense to carjack a vehicle; to own, operate, maintain, or control a chop shop; to alter or remove motor vehicle identification numbers; to deal in stolen marked parts; to conduct interstate trafficking of stolen vehicles and parts (made illegal under federal RICO racketeering statutes); and to counterfeit or forge motor vehicle title certificates
Requiring state DMVs to check VINs of out-of-state cars before issuing titles to new owners, and requiring auto recyclers and repair shops that sell or install used parts to check VINS against the FBI’s stolen-car database
Requiring manufacturers of certain high-theft passenger cars to put the identification numbers (i.e., VIN numbers) on the engine, the transmission, and 12 major body parts
Allowing for the seizure and forfeiture of vehicles or components with falsified or removed identification numbers
Requiring that exporters of used motor vehicles submit a proof of ownership containing the vehicle’s identification number to the customs and border officials before exporting the vehicle
Upgrading state motor-vehicle department databases containing title information, enabling federal and state law enforcement officials to rapidly determine whether a motor vehicle is stolen
Providing immunity for persons furnishing knowledge to police about auto theft law violators

9. Be familiar with the various reasons for committing vehicle theft
Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
Be familiar with the various reasons for committing vehicle theft

10. Reasons for Vehicle Theft
Long-term Transportation
Short-term Transportation
Joyriding

11. Joyriding

12. Reasons for Vehicle Theft
Profit
Insurance Fraud
Committing a Crime
Trade for Drugs

13. Know the methods of vehicle break-ins and thefts
Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
Know the methods of vehicle break-ins and thefts

14. Vehicle Break-in Methods
Ninja Rocks- throws porcelain spark plugs into drivers side window to gain access
Bricking or Stoning- throw into the window to gain access
Slim Jims
Door Wedging- flat edge tools to assist in gaining access are used

15. Vehicle Break-in Methods
Master Keying—using a master key from someone such as a locksmith
Lock Punching
Code Grabbing— obtained by the remote keyless entry
Key Theft

16. Vehicle theft depends on this:
Type of vehicle
Age of vehicle
Offenders knowledge, experience, and expertise in defeating vehicle security systems

17. Vehicle Theft Methods Ignition punching Hot wiring
Keys stolen in a burglary
Keys stolen in a robbery
Keys left in vehicle
Key cloning
Taken without consent
Identity theft, fraud, forgery
Towing

18. Professional Vehicle Theft
Chopping for parts and scrap metal
Strip and run
VIN switching
Salvage switching
Counterfeit VIN
Body switching
Vehicle exporting

19. Vehicle Theft Ring Characteristics
Concentrate high-frequency theft in specific locations
An organized group structure, with identifiable leadership
Have a group size of 10 members or less
Rarely use force to acquire a vehicle
Target newer model cars
Target cars with valuables in them
Steal cars at all times of the day
Have a centralized chop shop location
Target cars with unique features/options
Recruit males under the age of 30 years, of various racial backgrounds

20. Proven investigative techniques for auto theft rings
Car Buy/Traffic Stops
Parking Lot/Structure Surveillance
Controlled Buys of Parts
Undercover House
Bait Cars

21. Controlling the buying and selling of parts

22. Carjacking
It usually takes no more than 15 seconds for a carjacking suspect to overpower a victim and take possession of a stolen auto.
If a weapon is used, it will be a handgun 90 percent of the time. Knives are the second weapon of choice of carjackers.
Most carjacking incidents take place approximately 5 miles from the victim’s home.
The most popular location for a carjacking is a parking lot, followed by city streets, residential driveways, car dealerships, and gas stations. Persons stopped in traffic or exiting their vehicles also are likely targets.
Most victims of a carjacking are lone males who live in urban locations.
There is no specific type of vehicle targeted by a carjacker; older, less expensive as well as new luxury models are both at risk.
About half of all carjacking attempts are successful.
Carjackers usually strike on weekends at night between the hours of 8 and 11 PM.
Most carjackers operate alone, but sometimes in pairs

23. Know common types of vehicle fraud and how they are carried out
Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
Know common types of vehicle fraud and how they are carried out

24. Vehicle Insurance Fraud
Owner give-up: cannot sell car so they report it has been stolen
30-day special: files a false theft report hides vehicle for 30 days, high mileage with damage likely
Export Scam: shortly after purchased, rented, leased owner files false theft report
Phantom Car Scheme: fake title/registration used to secure insurance on a vehicle that does not exit

25. Vehicle Insurance Fraud
Scapegoat Theft: executed to enable vehicle owner’s to avoid detection of another crime they were involved in
Auto Arson: Purposely torch to obtain insurance money or cover up crime
Inflated Costs: repair facility inflates cost to make money

26. Odometer Rollback Indicators
Loose screws or scratch marks around the dashboard where the odometer is located.
Fingerprints or debris located on the inner side of the clear plastic covering of the instrument panel where the odometer is located.
Numbers that do not appear straight or line up correctly, especially at the 10,000 mark.
Sticking of the odometer when the vehicle is driven.
Stickers on doors, windshields, or under the hood that indicate mileage at which services such as oil changes were performed. These may exceed the number showing on the odometer.
Perform computer checks on vehicle databases.
Altered sections of the original title where the vehicle’s mileage was written by its previous owner.
Wear of brakes, tires, seats, or other vehicle components that is inconsistent with the wear expected for the stated odometer reading.
The vehicle is being sold shortly after a new title has been issued. A new title may have been created to cover up mileage stated on a previous title.
Many odometers contain security tags and clips where they are attached to the vehicle. These are broken when the odometer is either disconnected or replaced.

27. Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
REQUIRE A VIN:
Transmission
Front and rear bumpers
Engine
Hood
Right and left doors
Sliding cargo door
Right and left quarter panels and side assembly
Pickup/cargo box
Rear doors and hatchback/deck lid/tailgate

28. Reading the VIN Position 1: Country where the vehicle was manufactured
Position 2: Vehicle Manufacturer
Position 3--8: Description of the Vehicle and features
Position 9: The VIN’s check digit
Position 10: Year vehicle was manufactured
Position 11: Final assembly plant for the vehicle
Position : Vehicle’s unique serial number

29. Vehicle Databases and Information Sources
National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) :
Title information
Brand history
Odometer readings
Total loss history
Salvage history
Law enforcement specific information
Insurance Service Office Database:
Similar to NMVTIS
Contains insurance claims
Database derives from the National Insurance Crime Bureau

30. Vehicle Databases and Information Sources
National Crime Information Center:
Information on vehicles known to law enforcement to be stolen/involved in criminal activities
Other Sources:
All states have departments of motor vehicles with computerized databases regarding information on vehicles

31. Nonautomotive Vehicle Theft
Motorcycle
Very low recovery rate
Many are taken to a chop shop
Marine
Stolen boats often go unreported
Most are small crafts 20 ft and under
Dry theft, wet theft, cut and grab
Heavy Equipment
Taken after hours
Professional thieves
Equipment is dismantled
Many pieces exported

32. CHAPTER SUMMARY
Generally speaking, individuals who remove, steal, or drive a vehicle without first obtaining the owner’s permission have committed motor vehicle theft.
There are various reasons for committing vehicle theft including (1) joyriding, which is stealing a car or other vehicle to have “fun” with; (2) short-term transportation, which is stealing a vehicle simply to get from one place to another because there are no other available means of transportation; (3) long-term transportation, which is stealing for the purpose of acquiring a desired type of vehicle; (4) profit, which is stealing a vehicle to sell it or its parts for profit; (5) insurance fraud, which involves making fraudulent claims of theft of, or damage to a vehicle for purposes of obtaining an insurance settlement; (6) committing a crime, where a vehicle is stolen for transportation to and from a crime scene or for other means of facilitating a crime; and
(7) trade for drugs, where a stolen vehicle is stolen and exchanged for drugs or money to buy drugs.

33. CHAPTER SUMMARY
Most vehicle break-ins are carried out by techniques used to break windows, called ninja rocking and bricking or stoning, and to force doors open, called door wedging; lock punching; using devices called Slim Jims; methods involving electronic key code identification called code grabbing; or simple key theft from a residence. Vehicle theft methods include using force to break an ignition lock (ignition punching); hot wiring; using a key stolen in a burglary or robbery, or that has been left in the vehicle; using an electronic device called a key cloner ; taking a car without consent; using a false ID to purchase or obtain use of a vehicle; or towing the vehicle away.
Vehicle fraud can be carried out to (1) sell a car that has been stolen or is of less value than the buyer believes it to be or
(2) obtain an insurance settlement for a vehicle under false pretenses. Vehicle cloning is a popular method used to sell a salvaged or stolen car under the guise that it has never been damaged or stolen.