Thieves aren't just content to steal vehicles anymore. The more sophisticated auto crooks are also stealing license plates and insurance decals, all from different vehicles, and combining them on the wheels they pinch.
A Smithers man was the latest victim of license plate decal theft in Prince George, but police in the northern capital were able to put all the missing pieces together and locate the visitor's lost truck before it was damaged or gone forever.
"[He was] staying overnight at one of the hotels on Central Street complained that he had parked his vehicle at the hotel the evening of [Thursday], however it was missing in the morning. Police made a cursory search for the vehicle and located it locked and parked on Queensway with a different license plate on it," said RCMP spokesperson Gary Godwin.
"This plate turned out to be stolen, but the owner of the plate was not aware that it was missing yet. Police worked hard to correspond all the information, though, and figured out that the pieces didn't fit on this vehicle of interest, and lo and behold it was the Smithers man's truck."
This is a typical situation and thieves count on, Godwin said.
It is common for people to be unaware of their license plates, so if they are nabbed, especially the front plate, a lot of people would be none the wiser.
Meanwhile, the stolen plate is screwed into place on a similar looking stolen vehicle so when police are running plate numbers, the stolen vehicle gets by investigators.
A stolen plate is one thing, but stolen insurance decals are another. Godwin said it has become common for thieves to slice off stickers from valid plates and glue them onto stolen plates.
"The thieves have an easier time if there is a buildup of old decals," he explained. "They just take a sharp knife and slice them off and with some simple glue they can doctor a stolen plate."
Authorities are now recommending that vehicle owners put in the effort to peel old stickers off when applying each year's new sticker. Not doing so might mean a clandestine visit from a thief.
"The criminal element knows they have a certain window of time to utilize that stolen vehicle. That can improve their odds, if they steal plates and decals," Godwin said.
