How to Report a Suspected Auto Theft

The person you saw smashing the car window on the street below looked suspicious. In fact, you can't recall ever having seen the person in the neighborhood before. Of course, that car could have belonged to the person who did the smashing. Maybe he locked his keys inside. Still, there are less destructive ways to get into a vehicle. You have a sneaking suspicion that you just witnessed an auto theft. Now you need to report it.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Call the police. However, make certain you call the non-emergency number listed in the phone book. Calling 911 is just for emergencies.

2. Sit tight until the police arrive. They will come to your location to get information from you for the police report.

3. Tell the police everything about what you saw. Describe the suspected thief and tell exactly what you saw that person doing. Explain why you think what you saw may have been an auto theft.

4. Make sure the police know this is a suspected auto theft. After all, you are not certain a theft actually occurred. You do not want to be accused of making a false report to the police later if the suspected auto theft turns out to not have been a theft at all.

5. Contact the owner. If you know who owns the car in question, call to let her know what happened and that you called the police. This will give that person the opportunity to let you know if it was really a theft or not. If you don't know the owner, don't worry. The police will find and contact her.

Tips & Warnings

• Speak out against auto theft. Learn more about how to prevent this crime by getting involved with People Against Car Theft (see Resources below).
• Make sure you are being treated well. Under federal law and most state laws, the police and court officials are legally required to treat you with respect when you are reporting a crime and going through the process of pressing charges.
• It is a major inconvenience for anyone to have their car stolen. The necessity of getting a rental car or taking a cab to go anywhere, having to deal with police and insurance companies and the possibility of having to buy another car are all things most people want to avoid. Protect yourself from auto theft by installing security features on you car. Whether it is a car alarm or a satellite tracking device, anything that presents a challenge to a thief makes it more likely that thief will move on to another target.

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