NCJ Number
79627
Date Published
1980
Length
73 pages
Annotation
These Senate subcommittee hearings deal with the subject of Senate bill 1214, the Automobile Theft Prevention Act of 1979, which was introduced in response to the increasing incidence of automobile theft. The hearings focus on enforcement problems in Maryland.
Abstract
Witnesses include a convicted car thief, a representative of the credit industry, a panel of salvage yard owners, law enforcement officials, and insurance adjustors. The car thief describes how he stole and disposed of vehicles (i.e., through 'chop shops') and mentions the amount of money exchanged for automobile parts. The representative of the credit industry suggests that in order to reduce the auto theft rate, the crime should be punished more severely, major parts of the vehicle should have vehicle identification numbers (VIN's) and better locking and antitheft devices should be developed. A salvage yard owner argues that the proposed legislation will neither assist measures against auto theft nor will it fit harmoniously with the operating procedures of the auto-recycling industry. For example, he maintains that insistence on the requirement that major component parts be labeled with the VIN will force many salvage operators out of business due to the costs of VIN labeling. Others testifying offer amendments to the proposed legislation and discusses what insurance companies and law enforcement agencies are doing to combat the problem of auto theft. A prepared statement of the American Farm Bureau Federation and additional information on the antitheft bill are appended.