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Capitol Police target car thefts
Arizona Capitol Reports Staff//May 8, 2009//[read_meter]
The sign at 206 S. 17th Avenue is one of approximately 10 signs that were purchased with grant money from the Arizona Auto Theft Authority and will be placed around the Capitol to deter auto theft.
The Arizona Capitol Police agency was awarded a grant of $975 for a sign program aimed at deterring auto thefts in downtown Phoenix.
Arizona has the second-highest rate of auto theft in the nation, said John Almasan of the Arizona Automobile Theft Authority.
The agency’s voluntary-participation “Watch Your Car” program is designed to decrease auto theft and increase stolen vehicle recovery. If a police officer sees the “Watch Your Car” sticker on a vehicle, that means the owner has authorized police to stop the car between the hours of 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. because the owner does not usually drive during that time. If necessary, ownership of the vehicle is verified by a call to the owner.
If the vehicle is within one mile of the international border with Mexico, officers can stop the car at any time to verify ownership.
One out of every seven vehicles stopped as part of the Watch Your Car program is a stolen vehicle, Almasan said.?
