Information AboutCar Theft |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT | |
| illegal occupations | |
| motor vehicle theft | |
| theft | |
| car theft | |
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In almost all jurisdictions, theft of a motor vehicle is punishable as a Felony due to the extreme emotional and economic distress it causes to the victim and to society. The crime is commonly charged under the name Grand Theft Auto in the U.S. Colloquially , stealing a motor vehicle while it is occupied by its owner or authorized user is known as '' Carjacking '', and in many legal systems is treated as a form of Robbery . Stealing a motor vehicle and then abandoning it is known as '' Joyriding ''. Another term used for car theft is Boosting . This crime, though common throughout the 20th century, has been in decline in most jurisdictions over the last decade. One big exception is the Washington metropolitan area, which has seen the number of motor-vehicle thefts increase dramatically in recent years. Prince George's County, Md., a nearby suburb of the capital, had more than 18,000 cars stolen last year, many by juvenile car thieves, according to an investigation the Washingtonian magazine published in December 2005. In order to prevent motor vehicle theft, most jurisdictions require that the Vehicle Identification Number s (VIN) in North America of motor vehicles be registered with a vehicle licensing authority, making it difficult to resell a stolen vehicle. Most motor vehicle theft involves dismantling the vehicle and selling its parts which are not registered and for which there is a large market, or by moving the vehicle to another country, where the local authorities may not be linked to the same database or such protections may not be in place. See Also: VIN etching TWOC In popular culture, the video game series Grand Theft Auto uses car theft as a main focal point of its games. |
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