| The changing economic climate is changing criminal | | | | country where these thefts are prevalent for example |
| behaviour int the car crime arena. Previously it was the | | | | 108 have been stolen in North Gloucestershire this |
| theft of the car or stereo that was of concern but , as | | | | year. High ground clearance vehicles such as vans and |
| security devices made these too difficult attention | | | | four by fours are most at risk as the thieves do not |
| switched to easily stolen items such as satnavs.These | | | | need to jack up the vehicle. What can be done to |
| too have dropped so much in price as to be worth little | | | | combat these new threats? Well in the case of |
| on the black market. Two new types of theft from | | | | number plates theft, although there are plates which |
| vehicles have recently arrived in the U.K. The first, | | | | self destruct when an attempt is made to remove |
| triggered by the rise in fuel costs and tightening of | | | | them they will mean buying new plates, if your plates |
| legislation governing the supply is car number plates. | | | | are screwed to the car and not stuck on you can |
| New legislation has made it very difficult for criminals to | | | | replace the normal screws with anti tamper ones for |
| obtain false number plates but the rise in the price of | | | | very little cost. If you do become the victim of number |
| fuel has created a demand for them. They are | | | | plate theft, report it immediately as there will probably |
| normally used in the theft of fuel from garages by | | | | be a crime committed in a car with your registration |
| driving off without paying after filling the tank. CCTV | | | | number on in the near future. Trying to deter cat theft |
| footage is rendered useless by the false number | | | | is more difficult, aside from parking the vehicle in the |
| plates and the criminals are rarely caught. The second, | | | | garage ( not always possible with vans and 4 X 4 s ) |
| most recent offense is the theft of vehicle catalytic | | | | the only other thing you can do is have the nuts which |
| converters. The booming economy is the far east is | | | | secure the cat in place welded which will make |
| causing shortage of many things, the latest being | | | | removal more noisy. Instead of being able to use |
| platinum, it is currently worth twice the price of gold. | | | | spanners the thief will have to cut the pipe to remove |
| Catalytic converters use platinum amongst other | | | | the converter. One wonders what will be next target, it |
| precious metals to filter out toxic gases from exhaust | | | | is perhaps surprising that tires have not rocketed in |
| fumes and so a black market for stolen cats has | | | | price off the back of oil prices making them a stealable |
| appeared. There seems to be hot spots around the | | | | item. |