Vehicle Theft

Vehicle theft has become such a widespread and fast-growing problem, particularly in the Baltimore metropolitan region, that elected officials have realized they ignore it at their own political peril.State powers-that-be have begun to fight back in various ways. House of Delegates members from the northwest sections of Baltimore City and Baltimore County have proposed legislation that would finally create a Maryland law specifically dealing with vehicle theft. The measure would make such a crime a first-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Laurel police report felonies, arrests and property crimes. Prince George's County police report violent crimes and property crimes. City of Laurel Main Street, 500 block, March 3. Motor vehicle theft. Eighth Street, 800 block, March 3. Motor vehicle theft. Baltimore Avenue, 14300 block, March 3. Theft. Montrose Avenue, 300 block, March 2. Shoplifting theft. Domer Avenue, 300 block, Feb. 27. Shoplifting theft. Laurel Bowie Road, 14600 block, Feb. 26. Shoplifting theft.

Launching a statewide program to combat vehicle theft occurs not a moment too soon. The problem has become so widespread and has grown so fast that it demands the aggressive type of approach planned by the new Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council. Similar efforts in Michigan and California have been successful.Earlier this month, the vehicle theft prevention council awarded $983,000 for public education programs around the state. About half the money went toward initiatives in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, the jurisdictions in the metro region with the highest vehicle-theft rates by far.One key initiative is the city-county task force to analyze the theft problem and devise solutions.

Laurel police report felonies, arrests and property crimes. Prince George's County police report violent crimes and property crimes. Howard County police report major crimes, break-ins and car thefts. City of Laurel Fourth Street, 14900 block, Feb. 11. Theft. Fort Meade Road, 200 block, Feb. 11. Theft. Fenwick Court, 8100 block, Feb. 11. Theft. Spring House Lane, 9300 block, Feb. 12. Theft from motor vehicle. Shiloh Court, 14700 block, Feb. 13. Theft from motor vehicle.

In a widening attack on the thousands of motor vehicle thefts in the Baltimore area each year, a joint city-county police task force will be more than doubled in size next month.Its work, along with that of prosecutors, will be aided by $369,000 in grants accepted this week by the Baltimore County Council from the gubernatorially appointed Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council.The task force, formed in January with $245,000 in state grants, began with 14 officers and focused on the west side of Baltimore City and Baltimore County.

After a year with the lowest levels of serious crime in more than two decades, the number of robberies, arson and vehicle theft increased last year in Baltimore County, according to statistics released yesterday by county police. Overall, serious crime was up more than 4 percent in the county last year, with robbery up about 18 percent, arson up nearly 16 percent, and motor vehicle theft up about 13 percent, county police said yesterday. At the same time, those crimes were going down by about 2 percent statewide, according to the 2006 annual preliminary crime figures recorded by the Maryland State Police.

Crime in Maryland dropped by 7 percent, according to preliminary figures for the first nine months of 1997 -- a trend driven by significant declines in Baltimore and Washington.But the news was not so good in some regions. On the Eastern Shore, and in Southern and Western Maryland, crime increased significantly in several categories. No single cause was apparent, but officials said growth in those areas was a factor.Where crime declined, law enforcement officials and experts pointed to community policing, information sharing and efforts aimed at high-crime areas.

SEATTLE -- Three cars a week, sometimes four. Usually nice ones. Even a patrol car now and then. He said he stole them for the thrill and because he was high. Part methodical technician, part methamphetamine addict, part scavenger, Taylor J. Norton, 22, had a way with getting away with it, the authorities say. Until now. "He says he stole 200 to 300 cars," said Rebecca Hover, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office in Snohomish County, north of Seattle. "Whether he's correct, we don't know yet. This is what he's telling us. His attention to detail has been quite clear and concise so far."

IN YOUR Feb. 26 editorial "Radio-free Parris," you have some misconceptions concerning the mission of the Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council and our plan to reduce vehicle theft in Maryland, whatever it takes.If this means recruiting the governor to be our lead spokesman, so be it. After all, he is the leader of the state, and we were honored that he would take the time to assist us.An independent evaluation of the council's program was conducted in 1996 by the Schaefer Center for Public Policy at the University of Baltimore.

A 54-year-old Manchester man was arrested in Westminster Tuesday and charged with stealing lawn and garden tractors and several over-the-road utility trailers.The Maryland Vehicle Theft Task Force charged Buck Alvar Harris of stealing the equipment, removing the identification numbers and attempting to sell the stolen equipment. He was released on his own recognizance by a court commissioner.The MVTTF said its investigation of Mr. Harris parallels interstate thefts in which a large quantity of lawn and garden tractors have been stolen from dealers in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

Laurel police report felonies, arrests and property crimes. Prince George's County police report violent crimes and property crimes. City of Laurel Baltimore Avenue, 14900 block, Jan. 19. Theft. Dorset Road, 15700 block, Jan. 18. Theft from motor vehicle. Washington Boulevard, 900 block, Jan. 18. Shoplifting. Kay Court, 800 block, Jan. 17. Theft from building. Bowie Road, 14600 block, Jan. 17. Theft from motor vehicle. Montgomery Street, 300 block, Jan. 16. Theft from motor vehicle.

Aberdeen Aberdeen police report: A brush fire was reported last Thursday at Route 715 and Hickory Drive. Someone broke a windshield on a vehicle Friday at West Bel Air Avenue and Baltimore Street. Money and medicine were stolen by a known suspect Friday in the 200 block of Schmechel Street. A purse was stolen at Goodwill on Friday. Juveniles were kicking pumpkins Friday in a yard in the 600 block of Holly Circle. A tire was stolen off a vehicle last Thursday at the MARC train station.

Laurel police report felonies, arrests and property crimes. Prince George's County police report violent crimes and property crimes. City of Laurel Washington Boulevard, 300 block, Oct. 6. Motor vehicle theft. Tenth Street, 600 block, Oct. 6. Theft from motor vehicle. Arbory Court, 7600 block, Oct. 6. Forced entry burglary. Cherry Lane, 8000 block, Oct. 4. Pick pocketing theft. Laurelton Drive, 15300 block, Oct. 2. Bicycle theft. Bowie Road, 100 block, Oct. 1. Forced entry burglary.

Laurel police report felonies, arrests and property crimes. Prince George's County police report violent crimes and property crimes. Howard County police report major crimes, break-ins and car thefts. City of Laurel Baltimore Avenue, 14600 block, Sept. 9 Shoplifting theft. Fort Meade Road, 200 block, Sept. 8. Theft. Cherrywood Drive, 15000 block, Sept. 7. Burglary, forced entry. Dorset Road, 15700 block, Sept. 6. Motor vehicle theft. Olive Branch Way, 7200 block, Sept.

The Carroll County Sheriff's Office said this week that for the third straight year, serious crime in Carroll County has declined. The office cited the 2011 Crime in Maryland Report published recently by the Maryland State Police, which recorded a rate of 1.61 serious crimes per 100,000 residents during 2011 - the lowest rate since 1975. While incidents of robbery remained unchanged at 40, reports of murder, rape, aggravated assault, burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft - all of which fall under the "serious crime" category - all decreased compared to 2010 totals.

The city of Baltimore on Wednesday accepted about $600,000 in state grants for a variety of criminal justice initiatives. The grants will fund efforts to process charges for juveniles more quickly, develop a database of juvenile vehicle thefts, fund overtime for a gun trace task force and train investigators of sexual assaults. The city's spending panel, the Board of Estimates, approved the grants Wednesday. Sheryl Goldstein, who recently resigned as the director of the mayor's office of criminal justice, was frequently praised at City Hall for her ability to secure grants for police initiatives.

Maryland officials have started a focused attack on auto theft with nearly $1 million in grants to law enforcement agencies around the state, and another $1 million is on the way.Nearly a third of the money distributed has gone to Baltimore County, where car thieves have struck hard in the past year.Gov. Parris N. Glendening and the Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council have modeled Maryland's program after a plan devised in Michigan, where the vehicle theft rate was once second in the nation.

Laurel police report felonies, arrests and property crimes. Prince George's County police report violent crimes and property crimes. City of Laurel Main Street, 500 block, March 3. Motor vehicle theft. Eighth Street, 800 block, March 3. Motor vehicle theft. Baltimore Avenue, 14300 block, March 3. Theft. Montrose Avenue, 300 block, March 2. Shoplifting theft. Domer Avenue, 300 block, Feb. 27. Shoplifting theft. Laurel Bowie Road, 14600 block, Feb. 26. Shoplifting theft.