By: Las Vegas Now Staff
Car thieves in Nevada are bold and it is a crime that puts us ahead of the rest of the country in the number of cars stolen.
But Metro has been bringing the joy rides to a quick end by catching thieves in the act and on tape. Now the governor wants to expand our bait car program by creating a statewide task force to force the thieves out.
When a car gets stolen it's not just the owner who pays, everyone does. The governor says car theft and vehicle insurance fraud is reaching epidemic proportions in Nevada. It's costing you an extra $300 a year in insurance premiums.
Gibbons is hoping this new task force will help jump start a decrease in these crimes and put the breaks on car crooks.
Every 19 seconds a car in the valley comes under attack. Brazen thieves pop the lock and takes off with your investment.
“We know its impacting families. We have to do something. We have to take action,” said Gibbons.
Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson Police use bait cars equipped with cameras and GPS. If someone tries to steal it, the police will catch them in the act.
Since law enforcement officials in the valley started fishing for thieves with bait cars, they've seen a 20-percent decrease in the thefts. Now the governor is following Las Vegas's lead in the fight bring the car theft problem under control — by authorizing the Auto Theft and Insurance Fraud Task Force.
“We are sending a message to all the cars thefts in the state that you are not welcome here,” said Metro Lt. Robert Duvall.
The Nevada Insurance Council and several car insurance companies will buy some bait cars to put on the streets in other parts of Nevada. They're hoping this partnership with state law enforcement will take away Nevada's title as the number one state for auto theft.
“They deserve to be caught — have jail time, and citizens deserve to be protected from these individual,” said Duvall.
The Auto Theft and Insurance Fraud Task Force will also investigate organized insurance fraud and look into other methods to curb the car theft problem. They are expected to report their findings to the Governor Gibbons by October 1st.
Email your comments to Reporter Travell Eiland
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