Violent vehicle theft reaches lowest figure in Metropolitan Region since January 2022
“Throughout Chile, this crime has decreased by 27.6% compared to the previous year. These are important figures that show there is a way forward,” Crime Prevention Undersecretary Eduardo Vergara said this morning.
According to the latest figures released today by Carabineros (uniformed police service), violent vehicle theft in the Metropolitan Region this week recorded the lowest figure since January 2022. 277 fewer cases were also registered than on the same date last April. “Throughout Chile, the crime of vehicle theft has decreased by 27.6% in general, compared to the previous year,” Undersecretary Vergara said this morning.
In the Carabineros accumulated annual report, 1,238 fewer vehicles have been stolen to date compared to 2022. The report shows a constant decrease in the occurrence of this crime since the “Anti-Carjacking Plan” (Plan ANEN) was introduced and a public-private taskforce was installed by the Crime Prevention Undersecretary’s Office (SPD) in May 2022.
Undersecretary Vergara stressed that this joint work “shows that there is a way forward, and that it is not only public, but also private. An investment of $1.4 billion Chilean pesos (US$1.75 million) was made on the highways, the destination of which was decided with Carabineros and SPD technical bodies. For example, in places where controls could not be carried out, where there were blind spots, there is now a police officer at all control points. There is a will from the private sector and a willingness to move forward that is giving results.”
Work throughout Chile
The Crime Prevention Undersecretary pointed out that the positive results “are no reason to celebrate,” but “they do show us a way forward.” He also announced that a public-private taskforce will soon be installed in the Arica and Parinacota Region, and is already operational in the Biobío Region.
“The increase throughout Chile is worrying, although it is less when you standardize the figure. However, we made the decision to go and work in Biobío because we want to transfer that knowledge to regions throughout Chile,” he stated.
The taskforce will be installed in Arica in May, where representatives from the Crime Prevention Undersecretary’s Office, the Public Works Ministry, the Transport Ministry, Carabineros, PDI, the Civil Registry, the Customs Service, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and private companies linked to the automotive sector will begin working in the region.
Since Plan ANEN began in May 2022 to the first week of April, Carabineros work on violent vehicle theft has allowed them to detain more than 1,600 people and recover 281 stolen vehicles. They have also carried out more than 41,500 preventive controls, 434 controls on workshops and junkyards, and more than 611,000 license plate readings.
Advances and new proposals
Last week, the public-private taskforce against violent vehicle theft reported a series of advances in its work. Among them are the strengthening of the Anti-Carjacking Plan, the enactment of the Zero License Plate Law that prohibits driving without a license plate, the investment of $1.4 billion Chilean pesos (US$1.75 million) by the Association of Public Infrastructure Works Concessionaries (COPSA) in highway security that has already made 80% progress, the enrolment system for vehicle sellers to avoid fraudulent registration or laundering, and control of technical inspection plants for warnings of suspicious cases.
New proposals have also been made, which were agreed upon by the taskforce during the meeting held at the Crime Prevention Undersecretary’s Office. Among them are the implementation of a single point of contact for highway users, which will allow victims of vehicle cloning to request the cessation of charges associated with the cloned vehicle through a single channel, as well as the creation of a support protocol for victims of violent vehicle theft on urban highways. In this case, the SPD Victim Support Program will offer a first-response service and subsequent referral to victim support centers.
The taskforce also agreed to promote legal modifications and other regulations aimed at preventing violent vehicle theft and improving criminal prosecution. To this end, work will be carried out in four specific areas: incorporating marking systems on windows and mirrors; measures to discourage receiving stolen vehicles; the cancellation of license plates for vehicles declared as write-offs; and the restructuring of sanctions related to the misuse of license plates.