February 26, 2009

CMPD records for the year 2008 revealed that there were 16,116 reported larcenies from autos within our jurisdiction. Of those 16,116 cases, 1663 or 10.3 % involved the theft of license plates. License plates are designed to be fastened to the rear of vehicles usually by the use of 2 or 4 screws. These screws are often easily removed, even without the use of a specific tool like a screwdriver. Most can be removed with any straight object or might have only been installed finger tight.

Vehicle registration license plates are to identify vehicles and their owner. Individuals often steal license plates for any number of reasons; most often to avoid detection while committing other crimes, or if they are unable to register or insure their own vehicle. Both of these situations can cause problems for the rightful owner of the license plate when it is placed on a different vehicle. Image police coming to your home because someone stole your license plate and committed a robbery or other serious crime, or if someone without a driver's license or insurance commits a "hit and run". This situation could cause serious problems with DMV and require a significant amount of time and possibly money to correct.

Not to mention the cost in cash, time and inconvenience to replace the license plate on your vehicle. DMV will charge you $20.00 to replace the license plate on your vehicle. This alone may be enough of a reason to make an effort to make sure your license plate stays on your vehicle no matter where it is parked. License plate thefts occur frequently when vehicles break down and are left for an extended period of time on the side of the road, or when they are left in areas open to the public access like mechanic or body shops for an extended period of time. In cases such as these it may just be best to remove the license plate and take it with you until the car is ready to be driven again.

You may be asking yourself, what can I do, the vehicle manufacturer designs the license plate mounts and DMV supplies the license plate? You do have a few options; there are commercially available products that can help you protect your license plate. While no method or product could ensure complete security, there are products that can make the theft difficult. Some are very inexpensive like screws with unique heads that require special tools to remove to custom designed license plate frames with integral locking mechanisms. Some can be found at local auto parts stores while other, especially the custom license plate frames may need to be specially ordered on the internet.

If you would like to review some of these products you might use your favorite internet search engine and enter "locking license plates". CMPD does not endorse any of the products that are available to make your license plate more difficult to steal but merely wants to make the public aware that you do have options. Please do not be the next victim. The choice to use one of these products is entirely up to the consumer.