While much is made in the news about car theft, aside from carjacking, there's usually a skill involved in taking a vehicle. There's the Tik Tok hack that allowed cars to be stolen with a USB plug. And then there's hotwiring. There's key fob spoofing. Those all require some knowledge. But due to the what could be described as the 'Florida lifestyle' there's a much more common car theft occurring. A theft that requires no skill at all.
'Low IQ" Car Theft
It's so simple for these criminals with no skill set to find vehicles to rob, because we make it easy for them. A lot of people have moved to Florida from other parts of the country, where they had basements. Since storage units here are so incredibly expensive, people pack all their extra stuff in the garage. And park their vehicles in the driveway. Couple that with the false sense of security of a gated community you sometimes leave your car doors unlocked. This video is from a fairly high end gated community in Southwest Florida.
As you can see, security cameras are not a deterrent for this type of crime. They check the doors, find the vehicles locked, and move on. He's not even wearing dark clothing. These are not criminal masterminds. If they find a vehicle unlocked, they take everything they see. Sometimes they find a vehicle unlocked with the key fob in it. Then they take the vehicle, too. But that's how they often get caught (more on that in a bit).
How to stop this car theft.
Firstly, clean out your garage and park your car in it. These guys aren't looking for a challenge. Don't make it easy on them. Step two, make it part of your nightly routine to get those doors locked. If you always park your car or truck in the driveway I can tell you with near 100% certainty that someone will at some point, lift the handle to check. As I said, this is not a high IQ crime. For example, here's why I say that.
Rather than escape the neighborhood with this pricey SUV, someone tried to run over a mailbox. Idiot. The two individuals in this caper were caught, but not for this reason. They took another vehicle and that was their downfall. They took an SUV with a tracker on it. The owner of the SUV got on the phone with the Sheriff and directed them to criminals. And that was that. Here's another one. I know of another pair of criminals that took a high end Jeep from a neighborhood. They then proceeded to drive it around Fort Myers like they owned it. At some point, a cop ran the plates for whatever reason and found it to be stolen. How did you not see that coming?
More advanced car theft.
Thieves smashing out a window and hotwiring a car does still happen. A Corvette and a Camaro were taken in Fort Myers last week. Both from a gated community. Without vehicle trackers, these cars are likely gone. Again, being in a gated community tends to give you a false sense of security.
Quit making it easy on the criminals.
You want to know why your gated community is so vulnerable? Because it's been scouted. For example, think of all the landscapers, pool cleaners, and delivery drivers you see all the time. 99% of those people are just doing their job. It just takes one to pass along some information. And then bad actors have a plan.
Finally, just keep in mind the low IQ car thieves are not deterred by community gates, cameras, or even a guard at the front. By their actions, it doesn't even look like they care if they get caught. They are just looking for a quick score. Don't make it easy on them.
These Vehicles Are Most Targeted For Car Theft In Florida
These Vehicles Are Most Targeted For Car Theft In Florida
Florida is one of the top 10 states with the highest vehicle theft rates in the US. But you may be wondering which vehicles these thieves are targeting.
All over the news lately we've been hearing about catalytic converter thefts. People are walking out to their cars to find it's not starting up quite the same as before. If you hear a loud sound, smelly exhaust or a sluggish acceleration, that could be the first sign that it's been stolen. You may be thinking..of all things, why the catalytic converter? The reason these bad guys want to get their hands on them is because the precious metals they're made out of, palladium, rhodium and platinum, are getting more expensive so they're worth more.
Not only are they valuable, but they also are pretty easy to steal. If they're pros, they can slide under your car and remove it with a small saw in a minute or less. But you can prevent this from happening. They do sell catalytic converter anti-theft devices. You can also engrave your VIN number on the catalytic converter which will then make it harder to sell because it traces back to your car.
Carfax has put together a list of the most targeted vehicles for these thefts. If you own one of these makes and models, you'll want to be extra vigilant. If your catalytic converter does happen to be stolen, it's not a cheap fix. They run anywhere from $2000-$3000 to replace.
