Santa Ana : Police Step Up Efforts to Stop Vehicle Thefts

Police have added an extra auto theft investigator and distributed fliers in an attempt to raise public awareness and halt what they describe as the steady rise of car thefts in Santa Ana.

In 1985, 2,629 cars were stolen, a 26% increase over 1984. In the first two months of 1986, the number was up by 19%, Sgt. Bill Bruns said.

Most of the cars were stolen for joy rides, Bruns said, and last year 75% of them were recovered intact.

Police figures indicate that Ford pickup trucks are the most frequently pilfered, followed by Chevrolet pickups and Volkswagen buses. Bruns said the thefts do not appear to be the work of an organized auto theft ring and that the incidents are not concentrated in any particular area.

The simplest way to reduce thefts, he said, is to be sure that cars are not left unlocked or with engines running. “Some people will pick up hitchhikers and then leave them in the car while they run some errand,” he said. “Happens every day.”