City
officials and Austin Police have teamed up for a program to combat vehicle
theft in the city.
Police reports show thousands of cars are stolen in Austin each
year. The city of Austin is combating this with a
special task force designed to educate the public about what they can do to protect
their vehicles.
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According to Austin officials cars
parked on the side of the
road on
Riverside are highly targeted by thieves.
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The Automobile Burglary and Theft
Prevention Authority (ABTPA) met Wednesday to address burglary of motor
vehicles in the Austin area. The ABTPA oversees the impact of auto
theft in Texas and provides financial support to fight it.
In the agency meeting, ABTPA
Director Charles Caldwell provided statistics and projected an interactive
crime map, which indicated an increase in crime rates in Austin. Among reported
incidents assault, burglary and robbery are on the rise. According to the map,
crime rates have spiked in Downtown, Riverside and West Campus.
One plan of action the agency has
implemented to decrease crime, particularly in the Riverside area, is the use
of bait cars. According
to police reports, bait cars are vehicles fitted with high-tech video and audio
recording devices that are put in areas where theft is rampant. As soon as a
thief breaks in and starts the ignition, the engine is disabled and the doors
are locked. A silent alarm notifies nearby police who, using the built-in GPS
system, then take action.
Austin
Police Department’s bait car program and the auto theft unit is under high
scrutiny from the media and the public. However, Bait Car Program research shows the modified
vehicles designed to trap car thieves have reduced vehicle theft by more than
50 percent.
“New electronic
signs up around the city warn criminals that a bait car may be in the area to
deter thieves,” Caldwell said.
Toryn Johnson,
University Villages Property and Leasing Manager, welcomes the new measures to
combat crime that have been put in place in the Riverside area.
“I think this
will help keep our students safe and make them feel more at ease about where
they are living,” Johnson said.
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Signs have been posted throughout apartment
complexes on
Riverside to warn residents of
burglaries in the area.
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Austin police
have also installed signs throughout apartment complexes in the Riverside area
warning residents to lock their cars, take their valuables and not leave
anything in sight in your car.
Not all Riverside
residents are at ease with the new measures put in place.
“I still do not
feel safe knowing that crime is on the rise here,” said Jaila Allen, a
University Villages resident. “Seeing the warning signs about theft is only
making me feel more uncomfortable.”
David McDonald, a
University Estates resident living in the Riverside area, said he pays
attention to crime in his neighborhood. “How the police and city officials
handle the crime in this area will determine where I choose to live this coming
school year,” said McDonald.
As a part of the
program, Caldwell hopes the signs will make thieves think twice about targeting
cars where the signs are located.
The signs
have been up just a few weeks, but some have asked if the signs simply push
criminals toward their neighborhood.
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