December 24, 2010 “Homemade Tow Trucks Stealing Cars in Alabama www.privateofficer.com
(MOBILE, Ala.)Dec 24 2010 – Fresh off the heels of an FBI report that crime in Mobile is rising, Mobile police are stepping up their game against the thugs who steal cars.
Police say part of the problem are homemade tow trucks; thieves are throwing them together, using them to snatch cars and make some quick cash.
Donnie Mizell runs his own licensed towing company in Mobile. After more than a decade in business, he says he’s heard all about homemade wreckers, who jack cars by towing them off the side of highways, parking lots or even your driveway.
“They’ll watch a car on the interstate and if it stays more than three or four days, they’ll yank it up and go crush it,” Mizell said.
He says the thieves get $200 to $300 a car at the crusher, and your missing car could be unrecognizable in a couple of hours when chop shops take it apart.
Ofc. Chris Levy with Mobile police says they’re trying to zero in on these thieves, especially with car thefts soaring by nearly 40 percent in six months.
“If we observe a homemade wrecker hauling a vehicle around town, we’re gonna make sure that they’re operating properly, that the vehicle is not in fact stolen,” Levy said. He also says cops are checking wreckers for proper towing licenses.
To other drivers, these car thieves in the act, may not look suspicious, but police and Mizell say there are clues. Homemade wreckers are often unmarked pick-up trucks with a hook on the back for towing. While licensed wreckers display more info.
“You’re looking for a name and phone number, DOT numbers,” Mizell said. “All approved trucks in Mobile have a Mobile police inspection sticker in the passenger side front windshield.”
Mizell also says these thieves are finding new ways to fly under the radar; they are starting to buy old official tow trucks from towing companies and use them to steal cars.
So as police step up their tactics, they want you to do the same to keep your car safe.
Source:NBC15
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