Thieves stealing license plates in DC

[Anonymous]

Rash of license plate tag thefts in the Glover Park area. Likely in anticipation of crackdown on paper tags, so criminals can now use other plates to commit crimes.

From our listserv:

Just a heads up to check that your license plates are still there this morning. We had at least three plates stolen off cars at Beecher and Observatory last night. And yes, we have reported the incidents to the MPD.
….
This has also been happening to all the houses on Tunlaw that back up to the Wells Fargo this week. Hit at least three nights in a row, at least six cars so far that I can tell. One neighbor had his tag stolen Tuesday, got a new one from the DMV, only to have that replacement stolen again on Thursday.

All reported to MPD, who informed me that if it’s only one tag taken off a car they mark them down as “lost” and not “stolen.” Which is maddening. That makes about a dozen property crimes that are being deliberately uncounted by MPD.

Please note that MPD is purposely miscategorizing the theft of tags, which will likely be used by criminals committing violent crimes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rash of license plate tag thefts in the Glover Park area. Likely in anticipation of crackdown on paper tags, so criminals can now use other plates to commit crimes.

From our listserv:

Just a heads up to check that your license plates are still there this morning. We had at least three plates stolen off cars at Beecher and Observatory last night. And yes, we have reported the incidents to the MPD.
….
This has also been happening to all the houses on Tunlaw that back up to the Wells Fargo this week. Hit at least three nights in a row, at least six cars so far that I can tell. One neighbor had his tag stolen Tuesday, got a new one from the DMV, only to have that replacement stolen again on Thursday.

All reported to MPD, who informed me that if it’s only one tag taken off a car they mark them down as “lost” and not “stolen.” Which is maddening. That makes about a dozen property crimes that are being deliberately uncounted by MPD.

Please note that MPD is purposely miscategorizing the theft of tags, which will likely be used by criminals committing violent crimes. [/quote]

Lol you watch too many movies. It’s time you stop believing in the MAGA conspiracies and join us in the real world.

[Anonymous]

It’s natural to be slightly nervous when a police car pulls up alongside you in traffic, and even more natural to feel relieved when it drives away. But with a tool being used by the Metropolitan Police Department, an officer doesn’t even need to look you up to see if you’ve done anything wrong — a little camera mounted on the back of their cruiser will do it for them.

D.C. police are aggressively using small cameras to scan hundreds of millions of license plates annually, storing the images in a database for two years even if the driver is not suspected of having committed any crimes.

Hailed by police officials as an invaluable tool in fighting everything from auto theft to terrorism, the growing use of the cameras — known as Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs or LPRs) — has provoked concern among civil libertarians, who say that they come perilously close to a massive surveillance program.

https://wamu.org/story/13/12/10/license_to_track_dc_police_cameras_capturing_millions_of_license_plate_numbers/#

From 2013.

Now these same LPR’s are everywhere including parking enforcement and traffic cameras.

Also stolen tags are a thing because people use them to avoid tickets.

And it is not new or limited to the city.

INDIAN LAND, SC (WBTV) - Last month there were two car break-ins reported to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office that happened in the parking lot of Lowe’s in Indian Land. In one of those cases, all that was taken was the victim’s license plate.

Sheriff’s deputies say it’s surprisingly not uncommon for tags to be stolen.

“The public would be amazed at how many tags on the backs of automobiles, don’t match those automobiles,” Pubic Information Officer Doug Barfield said. “It’s much more prevalent than people might think.”

https://www.wbtv.com/2019/04/26/law-enforcement-warns-thieves-out-your-license-plate/

[Anonymous]

Are police actually cracking down on paper tags?? There are so many.

[Anonymous]

Since when is there a crackdown on paper tags?

Last reporting I saw, they are 100% allowed, the Council forbids a crackdown and license plates are optional.

[Anonymous]

The Council has no interest in enforcing property, let alone traffic crimes. Indeed, they have actively sought to mitigate the consequences of any such offenses. License plates are a privilege dog whistle.

[Anonymous]

Happened to me. Huge hassle. Never got my plate back from mpd. Plates put on stolen car used in hit and run. Got multiple tickets we had to contest.

[Anonymous]

It's remarkable and a tribute to most people's basic citizenship that most people are suckers and don't switch to paper plates.

There are zero consequences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's remarkable and a tribute to most people's basic citizenship that most people are suckers and don't switch to paper plates.

There are zero consequences.

Give it time. As people get frustrated, this becomes more common. I come from another country where stuff like this is more prevalent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's remarkable and a tribute to most people's basic citizenship that most people are suckers and don't switch to paper plates.

There are zero consequences.

If you’re a federal worker or contractor, you can’t rack up thousands in unpaid tickets or use illegal paper tags without losing your Public Trust or security clearance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are police actually cracking down on paper tags?? There are so many.

I've noticed this too why are there so many paper tags around here?

[Anonymous]

This happened to us a few years ago and was a huge pain. You will spend hours of time contesting tickets and accidents you didn't cause but that are tracked to your stolen license plates! I badgered the cops relentlessly about listing in my police report that this was a THEFT, not a "lost plate." Try to do the same so they can't cook the books re: crime stats.

Invest in a license plate theft prevention fastener -- special screws that are difficult to remove unless you have the proper tool -- tons of them on Amazon. Not a perfect solution but makes your car a more difficult target for license plate thieves. We had stupid thieves -- they only took the back plate, not the front. Maybe they were from Maryland? LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are police actually cracking down on paper tags?? There are so many.

I've noticed this too why are there so many paper tags around here?

It’s all over NYC too, though Mayor Adams has setup a task force to crack down.

Basically, paper tags started sprouting up in response to increased use of traffic camera and due to policies that police would not engage in vehicle chases due to safety concerns to innocent bystanders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This happened to us a few years ago and was a huge pain. You will spend hours of time contesting tickets and accidents you didn't cause but that are tracked to your stolen license plates! I badgered the cops relentlessly about listing in my police report that this was a THEFT, not a "lost plate." Try to do the same so they can't cook the books re: crime stats.

Invest in a license plate theft prevention fastener -- special screws that are difficult to remove unless you have the proper tool -- tons of them on Amazon. Not a perfect solution but makes your car a more difficult target for license plate thieves. We had stupid thieves -- they only took the back plate, not the front. Maybe they were from Maryland? LOL

I wouldn't be surprised if the local government isn't stealing the tags and handing them out. How else are they going to find people who will pay automated finds?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are police actually cracking down on paper tags?? There are so many.

I've noticed this too why are there so many paper tags around here?

The Council has demanded police not enforce this. There is no reason not to use them.