Tenn. Authorities Plan to Implement “Bait-Car” Program

November 30, 2004

Morristown, Tenn. authorities have announced a plan to use “bait-cars” to catch car thieves red-handed and to reduce the local car theft rate – insurance companies, noting such programs have cut the theft rate by as much as 25 percent, have even begun buying bait-cars for local law enforcement agencies.

Det. John Carrell, who is assigned to auto theft investigations in Cocke County, told the Citizen Tribune there are two approaches to apprehend car thieves. One involves hot-wiring the ignition of a car so that when it is driven away, police equipped with a remote control device can shut off the motor and lock the vehicle’s doors. Police then move in and arrest the thief.

The second approach involves the installation of a global positioning system (GPS) device. Car manufacturers install On Star on some vehicles, but according to Carrell, an after-market product, LoJack, serves the same purpose.

Using GPS allows a stolen vehicle to be tracked, possibly to a chop-shop operation. Morristown authorities were able to track a stolen vehicle to such an operation and arrest three persons. Carrell estimated that $180,000 worth of car parts had gone through the operation before the site was raided.