After there were at least 11 reported license plate thefts in Charlotte this past weekend, police are reminding drivers to keep an eye on their tags.
CHARLOTTE -- After there were at least 11 reported license plate thefts in Charlotte this past weekend, police are reminding drivers to keep an eye on their tags.
The thefts happened throughout the Charlotte area and were not specific to one area.
"I think just because it's a vanity plate, it's probably sitting in someone's bedroom right now," said Chris Flanagan, the general manager of Critter Control in Charlotte, who was one of the people reported a stolen tag. "The license plate itself was RATS-BATS, and it was North Carolina registry."
The high volume of thefts came as a surprise to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers in the Central Division, where stolen plates are down 26 percent.
On Friday and Saturday alone, 11 license plates were reported stolen in various locations across the city.
"All these type crimes normally have their ups and downs," said Sgt. Jim Hollingsworth, a CMPD officer with the Central Division, which covers the Uptown and Southend areas of the city.
According to CMPD statistics, Charlotte usually averages about 150 license plate thefts a month, and officers say the reasons for stealing them are often similar.
"One: [The criminal steals a tag] to cover up for a stolen vehicle or to hide the identity of a vehicle they're going to use in another type of crime," Hollingsworth said. "And then it can be as simple their tag is expired and they're stealing a tag that's not expired."
Officers recommend using anti-theft screws as a deterrent for potential thieves. They can be purchased at most auto parts stores and can't be removed with a common flat-head or phillips-head screwdriver.
"The more time [criminals] have to spend removing something off the car, the less likely they'll be to take it. They'll probably move on," Hollingsworth said.
"All of our offices are going to get these screws and I'm going to buy them personally for my personal vehicle as well," Flanagan said.