The Michigan Association of Vehicle Theft Investigators (MAVTI) has shared the following information regarding an emerging crime trend occurring at Michigan automobile dealerships.
Crime Details:
Investigators are seeing an uptick in wheel and tire thefts from new and late model vehicles across the state, including thefts from automobile dealership lots. Ford Bronco and Explorer wheel and tire thefts are an emerging trend. Several GM models were also targeted in a storage lot in southeast Michigan. Thieves recently targeted a dealership in Dundee, MI where they broke windows on Ford vehicles to retrieve the wheel lock tool inside the vehicles. Metro and rural areas of Michigan are affected.
Prevention Methods:
Prevention methods for car dealerships should include wheel and tire locks, physical security, high-visibility security cameras, park high target vehicles with front wheels turned at a 45-degree angle and park high target vehicles next to any available curbs.
Information provided by MAVTI is derived from intelligence sharing meetings conducted between law enforcement, insurance fraud investigators, and state regulatory investigators.
