088-1999 LTC
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33139
http:\\ci,miami-beach.fl.us
oa_________________________________.___.__________.____.___.__________.__.____ ___ _______._ __________________________.________._.._________...____.....________________.____________....._.___________________......_________.......
L.T.C. No. 88-1999
LETTER TO COMMISSION
April 13, 1999
TO: Mayor Neisen O. Kasdin and
Members of the City C mmission
FROM: Sergio Rodriguez
City Manager
SUBJECT: AUTO THEFT STATISTICS FOR THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
This Letter to the Commission is to advise the Mayor and City Commission of the auto theft
statistics in the City.
The auto theft statistics for 1998 reflect that there were 1, 736 motor vehicles stolen in the City. Of
the 1, 736 motor vehicles stolen, 1,180 (68%) were recovered. An additional 312 motor vehicles
stolen in other jurisdictions were recovered in the City. The Police Department made 91 arrests for
auto theft.
These statistics reflect a 5% decrease in the number of auto thefts from 1997. Moreover, auto thefts
have decreased 35% since 1995. (See attached).
This reduction in auto thefts can be attributed to the following efforts by the Police Department:
1. The assignment of a Miami Beach detective to the Miami-Dade County Multi-Agency
Auto Theft Task Force since 1996. This Task Force is a cooperative effort involving local,
state, and federal agencies as well as the National Insurance Crime Bureau to deal with the
auto theft problem. One of the principal problems in combating auto thefts is the speed in
which a violator can cross jurisdictional boundaries in a matter of minutes. This Task Force
has no jurisdictional boundaries.
2. More "Lo-Jack" auto theft tracking devices have been placed in police vehicles. Thereby
increasing the Department's ability to track stolen vehicles equipped with Lo-Jack devices.
3. The Police Department Auto Theft Squad has trained selected patrol officers as Vehicle
Identification Officers. This training enables police officers to quickly identify vehicles with
an altered vehicle identification plate.
4. The Police Department Auto Theft Squad has conducted an "Auto Theft Fair" over the last
four years. This fair provides auto theft crime prevention information, free VIN etching, and
free steering wheel locking devices. Over the years this fair has been held, hundreds of
Miami Beach residents have had their vehicles etched with the vehicles VIN number and
have received hundreds of steering wheel locking devices such as the "Club." (Flyer
attached).
5. Auto Theft Squad detectives conduct weekly inspections of impounded vehicles at the
local auto towing storage facilities.
6. An additional detective was transferred to the Auto Theft Squad in 1998. This has enabled
the Auto Theft Squad to initiate a proactive detail once a week. This detail is determined
based on the information obtained through the Department's crime analyst, who identifies
developing trends and target areas.
The Police Department has done an excellent job in reducing the number of motor vehicles stolen
in Miami Beach. In addition, the Police Department will be submitting a request to the Mayor and
City Commission for a new Auto Theft Prevention Grant from the Florida Motor Vehicle Theft
Prevention Authority. This grant will enhance the Police Department in efforts to combat auto theft
in our City.
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F:\POLI\TECHSERV\POLICIES\COM_MEMO\auto theft statistics. Itc.wpd
Memorandum
Criminal Investigations Unit
Date: February 9. 1999
To:
Chris Dee
Serqeant
CC: A/Chief Scarberry
Major Robbins
From: Stanton Berlinskv
Crime Analvst
Subject: Auto Theft Statistics for 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
The table below is a comparison of 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998, showing the continued
reduction of "Auto Theft" for the City of Miami Beach. The most signifigant change is a 35%
decrease from 1995 through 1998.
The first row shows the number of reported auto thefts for each respective year. The second
row shows the percentage of change from year to year. The third row shows the percentage of
change using 1995 as the base year in comparison to the subsequent years.
Year
Reported Cri rre
0/0 of O1ange Year to Year
0/0 of O1ange 1995 to Year
Auto Theft
1995
2
1996
2002
-2501<
-2501<
1997
1
-801<
-3101<
1998
1736
-50/0
-350/0
C:\MY DOCUMENTSIAUTO THEFT STATS 1995-1998 REVISED. DOC
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