Plan to Curb Auto Theft Gets Off to a Slow Start

A new police tactic in Glendora that could make it harder to steal cars has drawn scant response.

On Oct. 5, the Police Department’s crime prevention officers, in conjunction with the Automobile Club of Southern California, implemented Combat Auto Theft, or CAT, in Glendora. But so far, only 27 residents have signed up, officials say.

When they join, owners agree to place a bright-yellow decal in the rear windows of their vehicles. The 4-by-4-inch stickers, easily seen at night, display a registration number that gives an officer from any police department permission to pull the car over and check its ownership if it is on the road between 1 and 5 a.m.

Police Agent Cathy Harbour, who explained the procedure, said those four hours are when most vehicle thefts occur.

The free program is financed by the auto club, which is trying to curtail a rise in auto-theft claims. It is geared toward residents of apartments or condominium complexes without garages, and to senior citizens, who are less likely to be driving between 1 and 5 a.m., Harbour said.

“I was disappointed that I only did 27,” she said, referring to the number of Glendora participants. “I was expecting 200. We’re going out to senior organizations to boost registration.”

For local businesses who have their own vehicles, Harbour said, she is willing to register their whole fleets.

Carol VanNatter, the project’s coordinator for the auto club, said San Diego was the first city in the state to implement the program, which it did two years ago. Since then, 80 cities in Southern California have participated. The program is modeled after one the New York Police Department began using in 1986, she said.

Monrovia was the first city in the San Gabriel Valley to start such a program, followed by Alhambra. Other Southland cities taking part are Garden Grove, Anaheim, Buena Park, Huntington Beach, Long Beach, Downey, Ventura and Van Nuys.

VanNatter said the auto club’s insurance unit spends $32 million a year on auto theft claims in Southern California alone.

In Glendora, 175 cars were stolen in 1990. So far this year, 132 have been stolen.

Los Angeles County, the largest county in the state, also has the most car thefts, with 129,051 vehicles stolen in 1990, California Highway Patrol spokeswoman Alice Huffaker said. San Diego County is No. 2 with 39,843 and Orange County is third with 20,067, she said.

There were 298,605 vehicles stolen in the state last year, Huffaker said. Of that number, 267,167 or 89.5%, were recovered, but only 56% of the number were in good condition; 20% were stripped of minor parts, such as stereos and expensive seats; 10% were missing major components, including engines and transmissions, and 14% were burned out or wrecked, she said.

The popularity of well-built Japanese vehicles has been another factor in the wave of thefts. Glendora Police Agent Kevin Ruth said Honda Preludes are the most popular target of thieves in that city, followed by Mazda RX7s and Toyota four-wheel-drive trucks.

Ruth said that a Toyota truck stolen last Wednesday night was recovered the same night in neighboring Azusa, but that the tires and radio were missing.

CHP officials say an experienced car thief can break into a vehicle and drive it away in about 30 seconds.

Thieves use a variety of methods to gain access, but in Glendora the most common method is simply to smash the window, Ruth said.

VanNatter said letters have been sent to Auto Club members in Glendora, urging them to enroll in the program.

Residents may register, by appointment only, at the police station, 150 S. Glendora Ave.