Nearly 400 cars stolen in Birmingham so far this year

By Judy J. Beasley Last updated Apr 29, 2022

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Birmingham Police say there have been 395 car thefts so far this year, up 3% from the same period last year.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department said it’s becoming more prevalent throughout the county, but there are some things you can do to keep your car in the driveway.

“They’ve become more prevalent,” Jefferson County Sheriff’s Sgt. Joni Money said.

According to Money, the first step to preventing your car from being stolen is to lock your car doors.

“At least make it hard for someone to take the car,” Money said. “Make sure you park in well-lit areas. Do not park in a place where it is dark or where it is easy for someone to walk around your vehicle and manipulate the vehicle, perhaps plug it into a hot, undetected.

Money said sometimes thieves are looking for specific parts or expensive tires, but usually it doesn’t matter how new your car is. She said it’s a crime of opportunity.

“You’re going to have someone who wants to ride,” Money said. “You can have someone looking to get out of something or run away from something. You may also have someone looking to commit a crime and want a vehicle that would not be theirs.

She said parking in a garage or driveway is the safest, but if you must park on the street, try to keep it as close to a business as possible.

“You want to stay this close to the entrance to the business,” she said. “Where you can see the vehicle, or where there’s a lot of traffic, for someone to notice if someone was plugging into your car or trying to break into it.”

According to Money, the best thing to do is to use the GPS installed on your car if it’s a newer model or add a security alarm system if you’re driving an older car. Car GPS has already helped them solve a few cases of stolen vehicles.

“These new in-car GPS, tracking systems, I think those have helped a lot,” Money said. “I’ve read a lot of activity that goes through our office where we locate stolen vehicles in other counties or jurisdictions, so we’ve located a lot of vehicles.”

sergeant. Money says it’s important to be prepared in case your car is stolen. She said to keep a folder outside the car with your make, model, wine number, license plate. This is all the information the police will need to recover your car.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE WBRC FOX6 NEWS APP

Subscribe to our WBRC newsletter and get the latest local news and weather delivered straight to your email.