San Fernando Valley : BAITING BURGLARS

The Honda Prelude was the car of choice for auto thieves earlier this year, so Antelope Valley deputies set up a decoy car as bait. When thieves tried to steal the vehicle, the engine would shut off and automatically lock in the burglars.

The two-day sting operation in Lancaster resulted in the arrest of 11 juveniles. The deputies use the method on a regular basis these days as part of an auto theft prevention program they started earlier this year in response to escalating auto thefts in the Antelope Valley.

The program was developed when crime reports revealed a 22% increase in car thefts during 1994. The program has helped bring the numbers down this year by about 15%.

According to Sheriff’s Sgt. Darrel Brown, auto theft is the biggest crime in Lancaster and police are dealing with the problem swiftly. He said juveniles are responsible for the majority of the incidents so police are conducting massive truancy sweeps and busting youths who are out after the city’s 10 p.m. curfew for minors.

“The number of criminal incidents have only increased slightly along with the population, Brown said. “As the population [in the Antelope Valley] continues to grow we may see more problems in the future.”