Car Thefts Decrease Dramatically After Teen Theft Ring Busted In Maryland

Police might notice more than anyone else when crime drops off steeply. In Howard County, vehicle thefts just plummeted. According to police, lots of that drop-off comes down to kids. Interestingly, the cars in question are a part of the story too. Officers noticed that thieves appeared to focus on Kias, Hyundais, Hondas, Acuras, Chevrolets, and Dodges. These might just sound like popular brands. The reality is that, according to police, each was easy to steal thanks to key-copying programs. Now, over a dozen young people are facing serious charges.

Police counted 130 reported thefts during the second quarter (May 1-July 31) in Howard County alone. Then, in the third quarter (Aug 1-Oct 31), there were just 77 more. That's a steep decline of 53 cases in total, or around 41%. Police blame that drop on nabbing 13 young men who evidently played a large role. While they didn't all work together, their methodology was allegedly very similar.

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The crimes and future

Police linked the 13 teens, two of whom were 18, the rest of whom were minors, to at least 35 thefts over the summer. One group allegedly focused on high-horsepower Chevrolet and Dodge models. Another went after Hondas and Acuras along Route 1. Police believe these groups used the cars for various things, including the commission of other crimes, parting out, sales, and even just joyriding. As investigators closed in and began making arrests, they started finding the hardware associated with this type of crime.

Across all 13 arrests, they managed to find seven key reprogramming devices. Sure, these devices can simply clone a key if one already has it, but some can link up to a car via the OBDII port and generate a new key. In cases like that, a thief doesn't need the original key so much as they simply need access to the OBDII port. As we've covered before, once inside, skilled thieves can make away with a car in short order.

In addition, police found three handguns. The dip in thefts appeared to correspond directly to the arrests. Police say they captured most of these folks in July. It's clear that there was a big drop after that. Moving forward, police hope they have a way to help owners combat theft before it happens.

HCPD offered free vehicle identification number etching at a prevention event on Saturday, November 7. It might not sound like much, but etching a vehicle's VIN onto each major piece of glass can deter theft if the thief in question is willing to check for that before they break in or try to take the car. During the same event, police handed out steering wheel locks for Hyundai and Kia owners.

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