Thieves stealing license plates in DC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't drive. Why are paper plates even allowed?

They are meant to be temporary tags when you first buy a car and before it is registered and the state/DC sends you your actual plates. They are supposed to be valid for no more than 30 days, and real ones are traceable to the car dealership who then reports who the tag was issued to. But tons a fake and expired and untraceable illegal paper tags are out there now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

A license plate is like a name tag -- without one, it is easier to commit crimes undetected. Traffic cameras can't trace you; once you leave the scene of an accident having given false info, you can't be found; you can hit and run with near impunity; parking tickets don't need to be paid because they cant trace you; police can't run your tags. You can abandon a vehicle, and it can't be traced back to you.

They are very popular among drug runners who zoom along 95 (ask your local law enforcement or prosecutor).

Dang, you sold me on these paper tags! I wasn't convinced I needed them, but no parking tickets or speeding tickets? -Sold!

I have received several fake parking tickets. Even with photo and video evidence, no one cared and I still had to pay. I even got a handicapped parking ticket, but I was 2 spots over! And those are expensive.

[Anonymous]

This is a mess

[Anonymous]

There should be a way to make plates that aren’t removable. Like how the stickers are hard to get off in one piece. Maybe the bolts would mark them somehow if removed using a strip of some kind, I don’t know. There’s probably a way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There should be a way to make plates that aren’t removable. Like how the stickers are hard to get off in one piece. Maybe the bolts would mark them somehow if removed using a strip of some kind, I don’t know. There’s probably a way.

Or, have something readable by the scanner that is printed on the car like the VIN, so that the scanner can detect if it’s mismatched to the plate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Council has set up the non-police enforcement agencies up for failure in so many ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Council has set up the non-police enforcement agencies up for failure in so many ways.

Just consider how much easier it every crime becomes when you can zip away in an untraceable vehicle. This isn’t about avoiding camera fines, but so much more.

[Anonymous]

I think the rise in car jackings is related to the non-enforcement of license plates. Very easy to carjack and slap on some fake paper tags. You can keep the car a lot longer if cops won’t even bother to pull you over and check paper tags for legality.

The vehicle is then used for a host of other crimes.

So let’s look at the order in which things devolved:
1. Council no longer requires drivers to pay off fines in order to renew license or car registration because it’s not fair to poor people.
2. Council tells MPD to stop pursuing stolen vehicles or pulling over vehicles for violations due to risks to innocent bystanders
3. People start using fake paper tags to get out of camera tickets. Becomes an engrained part of DC driver culture since the pandemic. No one enforces license plate rules because of #2 above
4. Car jackings and stolen vehicles skyrocket due to #3, they can just slap on a fake paper tag and blend in with the crowd

The council has incentivized a culture of driver lawlessness. Criminals are taking advantage of that stance, as they have been incentivized by the Council to commit crimes when the cops are not looking. Basically, the Council started off with a good idea (providing relief to poor people) but it ended up making the job easier for legit criminals.

Law of unintended consequences.

[Anonymous]

A lot are used by a$$hole street racers to avoid getting caught.

Crack down on meetups. Impound and crush cars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the rise in car jackings is related to the non-enforcement of license plates. Very easy to carjack and slap on some fake paper tags. You can keep the car a lot longer if cops won’t even bother to pull you over and check paper tags for legality.

The vehicle is then used for a host of other crimes.

So let’s look at the order in which things devolved:
1. Council no longer requires drivers to pay off fines in order to renew license or car registration because it’s not fair to poor people.
2. Council tells MPD to stop pursuing stolen vehicles or pulling over vehicles for violations due to risks to innocent bystanders
3. People start using fake paper tags to get out of camera tickets. Becomes an engrained part of DC driver culture since the pandemic. No one enforces license plate rules because of #2 above
4. Car jackings and stolen vehicles skyrocket due to #3, they can just slap on a fake paper tag and blend in with the crowd

The council has incentivized a culture of driver lawlessness. Criminals are taking advantage of that stance, as they have been incentivized by the Council to commit crimes when the cops are not looking. Basically, the Council started off with a good idea (providing relief to poor people) but it ended up making the job easier for legit criminals.

Law of unintended consequences.

Then why are carjackings up even in other jurisdictions without the same problems?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the rise in car jackings is related to the non-enforcement of license plates. Very easy to carjack and slap on some fake paper tags. You can keep the car a lot longer if cops won’t even bother to pull you over and check paper tags for legality.

The vehicle is then used for a host of other crimes.

So let’s look at the order in which things devolved:
1. Council no longer requires drivers to pay off fines in order to renew license or car registration because it’s not fair to poor people.
2. Council tells MPD to stop pursuing stolen vehicles or pulling over vehicles for violations due to risks to innocent bystanders
3. People start using fake paper tags to get out of camera tickets. Becomes an engrained part of DC driver culture since the pandemic. No one enforces license plate rules because of #2 above
4. Car jackings and stolen vehicles skyrocket due to #3, they can just slap on a fake paper tag and blend in with the crowd

The council has incentivized a culture of driver lawlessness. Criminals are taking advantage of that stance, as they have been incentivized by the Council to commit crimes when the cops are not looking. Basically, the Council started off with a good idea (providing relief to poor people) but it ended up making the job easier for legit criminals.

Law of unintended consequences.

Then why are carjackings up even in other jurisdictions without the same problems?

Good question. I guess not requiring license plates and enabling criminals was a good idea after all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the rise in car jackings is related to the non-enforcement of license plates. Very easy to carjack and slap on some fake paper tags. You can keep the car a lot longer if cops won’t even bother to pull you over and check paper tags for legality.

The vehicle is then used for a host of other crimes.

So let’s look at the order in which things devolved:
1. Council no longer requires drivers to pay off fines in order to renew license or car registration because it’s not fair to poor people.
2. Council tells MPD to stop pursuing stolen vehicles or pulling over vehicles for violations due to risks to innocent bystanders
3. People start using fake paper tags to get out of camera tickets. Becomes an engrained part of DC driver culture since the pandemic. No one enforces license plate rules because of #2 above
4. Car jackings and stolen vehicles skyrocket due to #3, they can just slap on a fake paper tag and blend in with the crowd

The council has incentivized a culture of driver lawlessness. Criminals are taking advantage of that stance, as they have been incentivized by the Council to commit crimes when the cops are not looking. Basically, the Council started off with a good idea (providing relief to poor people) but it ended up making the job easier for legit criminals.

Law of unintended consequences.

Then why are carjackings up even in other jurisdictions without the same problems?

Because it can be a contributing factor and not the only reason. Carjackings are also up because it’s easy (most people will give up the car) and you’re unlikely to get caught (they get away before police arrive and ditch the car before anyone’s really looking hard for it). The paper tags issue is just icing on the cake in certain areas like DC but the other factors apply in a lot of places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the rise in car jackings is related to the non-enforcement of license plates. Very easy to carjack and slap on some fake paper tags. You can keep the car a lot longer if cops won’t even bother to pull you over and check paper tags for legality.

The vehicle is then used for a host of other crimes.

So let’s look at the order in which things devolved:
1. Council no longer requires drivers to pay off fines in order to renew license or car registration because it’s not fair to poor people.
2. Council tells MPD to stop pursuing stolen vehicles or pulling over vehicles for violations due to risks to innocent bystanders
3. People start using fake paper tags to get out of camera tickets. Becomes an engrained part of DC driver culture since the pandemic. No one enforces license plate rules because of #2 above
4. Car jackings and stolen vehicles skyrocket due to #3, they can just slap on a fake paper tag and blend in with the crowd

The council has incentivized a culture of driver lawlessness. Criminals are taking advantage of that stance, as they have been incentivized by the Council to commit crimes when the cops are not looking. Basically, the Council started off with a good idea (providing relief to poor people) but it ended up making the job easier for legit criminals.

Law of unintended consequences.

Then why are carjackings up even in other jurisdictions without the same problems?

Good question. I guess not requiring license plates and enabling criminals was a good idea after all.

I guess all you have is snark…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot are used by a$$hole street racers to avoid getting caught.

Crack down on meetups. Impound and crush cars.

As our wise DC Council already stated, they don't want DC police to impound street racers or ATVs because that would hurt poor grandmas who won't be able to drive to the pharmacy anymore. Meanwhile rich fat soccer families get to keep their minivan. Think of the disparate impact on the poor, for heaven's sake!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the rise in car jackings is related to the non-enforcement of license plates. Very easy to carjack and slap on some fake paper tags. You can keep the car a lot longer if cops won’t even bother to pull you over and check paper tags for legality.

The vehicle is then used for a host of other crimes.

So let’s look at the order in which things devolved:
1. Council no longer requires drivers to pay off fines in order to renew license or car registration because it’s not fair to poor people.
2. Council tells MPD to stop pursuing stolen vehicles or pulling over vehicles for violations due to risks to innocent bystanders
3. People start using fake paper tags to get out of camera tickets. Becomes an engrained part of DC driver culture since the pandemic. No one enforces license plate rules because of #2 above
4. Car jackings and stolen vehicles skyrocket due to #3, they can just slap on a fake paper tag and blend in with the crowd

The council has incentivized a culture of driver lawlessness. Criminals are taking advantage of that stance, as they have been incentivized by the Council to commit crimes when the cops are not looking. Basically, the Council started off with a good idea (providing relief to poor people) but it ended up making the job easier for legit criminals.

Law of unintended consequences.

Then why are carjackings up even in other jurisdictions without the same problems?

Because it can be a contributing factor and not the only reason. Carjackings are also up because it’s easy (most people will give up the car) and you’re unlikely to get caught (they get away before police arrive and ditch the car before anyone’s really looking hard for it). The paper tags issue is just icing on the cake in certain areas like DC but the other factors apply in a lot of places.

The crime rate has skyrocketed because we deliberately pushed policies for which skyrocketing crime can be the only result.