Causes and Effects of Auto Theft: Analysis of Josh Barro
Stealing cars has become a riskier task with minimal potential for lucrativeness and more possibilities of attracting a jail term when caught. This opinion has sparked numerous research and inquiries into auto theft. Consequently, Josh Barro, an American journalist, hypothesized, in his article dated 11th august 2014, that stealing cars is no longer as popular as it once was. His report explicitly addresses car theft in New York City, where there has been a notable decline of auto theft by 96 percent between 1990 and 2013 (Barro). This paper seeks to dissect Barro’s article by highlighting and describing the general causes and effects of a decline in auto theft, according to Barro’s accounts. Notably, this paper will delve deeper into technology as the immediate cause and will further relevance of Barro’s statements to the intended audience, citing evidence from the article.
Barro cites advancement in technology as the primary factor that has contributed to the significant decline in auto theft. Notably, he states that manufacturers’ adoption of engine immobilizer systems has made it impossible to start a car without the key to ignite (Barro). The key is equipped with a microchip automated by the dealer in a particular way to match the specific vehicle. According to Barro, this technology has baffled car thieves rendering them hopeless in attempts to make counterfeit keys. In his article, Barro cites the New York Police Department captain of auto crime division, Capt. Don Boller, who asserts that the average thief is incapable of stealing such cars.
Barro based his account on the evidence from the most stolen car in America, the Honda Accord. The evidence demonstrates a reduction due to the automation of keys. Data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau shows that in 2013, the number of stolen Accords was 54,000, with 84 percent being model years of 1997 or earlier (Barro). Consequently, the company began selling cars with immobilizers in the model year of 1998. A remote cause for the decline in auto theft is that old cars are not worth a lot, although they are easier to steal (Barro). Because vehicles are primarily stolen for the value of their parts, older cars provide fewer valuable components, which makes taking them an unnecessary risk.
A notable effect of reduced popularity in car theft is that the few stolen old cars are often sold as scrap for a small price of a few hundred dollars. A New York state law protects scrap yards by creating a provision for the scrapping of cars (Barro). The underlying conditions for this action are that the vehicle’s worth should not exceed 1,250 US dollars and more than eight years of age. This condition is not lucrative in any sense. It is harder to achieve. Captain Boller explains that it is easier to identify a stolen car due to the speedy tracking capabilities provided by the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (Barro). Additionally, it is harder to scrap a stolen car because legal requirements stipulate that a photo identification must be presented for an individual to scrap a car with no title.
However, the reduction in auto theft in New York does not necessarily translate to a nationwide decline. Whereas the cut stands at 98 percent in New York, it is a staggering 62 percent nationwide (Barro). The nationwide flop is attributed to attempts at shipping and moving stolen cars out of the states and other countries like Mexico. For instance, California still holds one of the highest auto theft rates countrywide because of links with organized crime by Mexican gangs (Barro). Similarly, the national auto theft rate is attributed to the overreliance on old Hondas.
The future seems much more hopeful for further reduction of auto theft and possibly a total eradication. One of the logical reasons for this expectation is that old models will become a valueless option for car thieves, although this has not yet been achieved. Due to the factual evidence of technological advancement cases made by Barro, auto theft will become an even more difficult task in the future. Barro has successfully predicted further auto theft reduction based on the case study of New York’s auto theft history. In my opinion, the effects of reduced auto theft present the need for further measures to be taken against auto theft not just in New York but in all states, especially those that have not recorded a significant reduction. However, the case presented by Barro has demonstrated that car theft is less fashionable but also less common, especially for new car models.
Work cited
Barro, Josh. “Here’S Why Stealing Cars Went Out Of Fashion.” Nytimes.Com, 2014, https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/12/upshot/heres-why-stealing-cars-went-out-of-fashion.html.