The LAPD Northeast Community Station is in discussions with a private theft-prevention company to offer victims of vehicle thefts who reside in Northeast Los Angeles a free security system for retrieving stolen vehicles.
The proposed program would coincide with National Vehicle Theft Protection Month in July, an annual campaign that kicks off in late June.
The LAPD Northeast station is hoping to partner with LoJack Corp., which specializes in the tracking and recovery of stolen vehicles, to provide victims of vehicle thefts who reside in Northeast L.A. a monitoring device, according to Det. A. Romero, a supervisor in the Northeast station’s auto theft unit.
Called a LoJack “Stolen Vehicle Recovery System,” the device is fitted into vehicles, equipping them with a radio-frequency mechanism capable of tracking the vehicles. According to LoJack Corporate Communications Manager Jeremy Warnick, the system is activated when an owner reports a vehicle's theft to the police, who then enter the vehicle's identification system code into the National Crime Information Center computers, which automatically activates the LoJack.
Northeast residents whose vehicles have been stolen at least once would qualify for the proposed plan, which would mostly focus on Hondas, Accords and Toyotas.
The older models of those vehicles, ranging roughly from the mid-1990s to 2005 or 2007, are most favored by car thieves because their doors and ignitions can be opened by shaved keys, Romero explained.
To qualify for the proposed campaign, applicants must reside in Northeast L.A. and the police report concerning their stolen vehicle must be on file with the Northeast Community Station. Applicants must not have a criminal history and should be in good standing.
For further details, contact Detective Hovhanessian or Detective Romero at (323) 344-5757. For additional crime prevention information, visit www.lapdonline.org.
Correction: We initially reported that the LoJack system is activated when the owner calls a toll-free number and punches a code provided by the company. That information, provided by the LAPD, turns out to be incorrect: According to a LoJack employee, to activate the system, the owner of a stolen vehicle must first report its theft to the police, who enter the vehicle's identification system code into the National Crime Information Center computers, which automatically activates the LoJack.
