Car theft is on the upswing across the nation, and Plano is no exception. Now, the Plano Police Department is warning residents that these thefts are becoming more dangerous.
According to the Plano Police, the rise of dangerous thefts holds particularly true in cases involving suspects stealing high-performance vehicles such as Camaros, Corvettes, Chargers, Challengers and others. Over the past year, a significant number of the suspects encountered by the Plano Vehicle Crimes Unit while in possession of these stolen high-performance vehicles were found armed with handguns.
On Oct. 22, 2023, a victim in Plano interrupted suspects in the act of stealing his Corvette at the RaceTrac gas station in the 800 block of E Park Blvd. One of the suspects pulled a pistol, threatening the victim. The subject was arrested by police and during the investigation stolen cash was also recovered. Additionally, authorities highlighted that over the past weekend, a national news report from Tennessee showed a case where a suspect was driving a stolen vehicle and shot two police officers.
The Plano Police Department encourages residents to take the following steps to safeguard property:
• Do not confront these suspects. Call 911 if you see someone stealing your vehicle.
• In order to combat vehicle thefts due to manipulating the onboard computer and reprogramming a new key, you can purchase online an OBD port lock device.
• Consider installing an aftermarket GPS device in your vehicle that is well hidden. Suspects know how to defeat factory-installed GPS devices; however, GPS devices they don’t know about will increase the odds of your vehicle being recovered.
“Car theft is turning out to not just be a “property crime” anymore,” a statement from police read, adding, “These suspects are becoming increasingly bold and violent.”
To report a stolen vehicle call 911 or the Plano Police Department at 972.424.5678.
