Rash Of Honda Thefts Hits Pasco, Cops Offer Safety Tips
Wednesday morning around 5:20am, within a matter of minutes, Pasco Police say three different people called 911 to report their Hondas were stolen.
Police say a Civic, Prelude and Accord were all taken within a few minutes. They're not sure if they are separate or part of a ring. One thief who was trying to steal the Accord apparently happened to see a Prelude across the street, and decided to take it instead. Although the Accord was broken into and moved briefly, the driver parked it and went after the Prelude instead.
As of Thursday morning the Prelude and green Civic are still missing. Insurance reports indicate at least half of the top ten most stolen cars in the U.S. year after year are mid to late model 1990's and 2000's Hondas. Police say they are extreme popular especially if the owner has tricked them out with after market parts, wheels, tires etc.
Pasco police say if you brag about your car online, especially about the 'modified' engine or other expensive parts, thieves will take notice. They (and other departments) say car theft rings do comb social media, looking for people who brag about their cars online. They try to obtain as much personal information, especially where you live, or even work, and then set about to take your car.
Hondas are in extremely high demand on the black market. Authorities now say if you own one of these 1990's Hondas, it's not enough to lock the car. You need to invest in a reliable alarm system, and especially one that comes with kill switch options. Some of these will alert you on your phone if your car is being broken into, and you can 'kill' the car to keep it from being started.
Even the most hi-tech thieves will likely abandon the break-in, because it would take too long for them to override the kill system before police arrive.
For information on where to get one of these type of systems (we used Amazon) click on the button below. Some of the entry level systems are surprisingly affordable even starting as low as $29.