Auto Theft Down in Metro Detroit

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - There's been a surprising finding in city after in metropolitan Detroit. Car theft is down. Michigan is still fifth in the nation for car theft, but the improvement is startling. However, now there's a new concern for anybody who has a vehicle.

Terri Miller is the director of HEAT, which stands for Help Eliminate Auto Theft. We asked her to what she attributes the good news.

"We've got great auto theft teams that are in the cities that are really fighting auto theft," said Miller. "Also, people are calling the HEAT Tip Line, which helps keep crime down in the neighborhood because we're able to take that information, give it to law enforcement and get rid of those folks by arresting them."

Taking a look at the improvements city by city, Detroit and Warren are down 17-percent, Dearborn is down 28-percent, Hamtramck is down 21-percent, Westland is down 23-percent, Pontiac is down 35-percent and Southfield is down 11-percent.

However, this is only part of the story, and Miller also has a warning for all car owners.

"Since newer cars are getting harder to steal, the thieves are now focusing on component parts. So, tires and rims, especially on higher end SUVs, and also GPS units," Miller said. "We're really warning people to keep all of their valuable items out of sight in their vehicles. Even if you're just leaving for a short time, make sure your GPS unit and the bracket is taken out of your vehicle and stowed so that no one can see it."

We asked Miller who is most likely to be targeted.

"Higher end SUVs for the tires and rims and then late nineties, early 2000 Chrysler products because they don't have as much self protection built in to them. Sometimes they're even stealing the Chrysler minivans so that they can put stolen tires and rims inside them," said Miller.

So, what should we do to try to crack this thing?

"It's really neighbors watching out for neighbors. We really want you to use the HEAT Tip Line. Call us confidentially 24/7. Tell us what's going on in your neighborhood. We'll pass that on to law enforcement, and if we make an arrest, you could get a reward that could go up to $10,000," said Miller.

The tip line number is 1-800-242-HEAT. You can also find HEAT on the Web at www.1800242HEAT.com.