Fox 2 News in Detroit is reporting on a new program instituted through the Detroit police department to provide free steering wheel locks to owners of Chrysler products that live in the eastern part of the city.
The program targets Chrysler owners because 6 out of the 10 most frequently stolen vehicles in Michigan are Chrysler products. In fact, at one point police actually planted a Chrysler vehicle as a bait car, and videotaped what happened. The car was locked, as was the ignition.
It was gone in 43 seconds from the moment a teen thief first went after the door.
The problem became so severe that State Farm Insurance stepped up with a grant to one of Detroit’s neighborhood groups to distribute free steering column locks – devices that lock onto the steering wheel making it impossible to turn past the door – to be distributed by police, but only to those neighborhood residents that own Chrysler products. Police hope, however, to expand the program city-wide.
The TV station reports that the newest Chryslers are equipped with a much better anti-theft system called the “Sentry Key” engine immobilizer system. But Chryslers not equipped with that system are called “child’s play” to steal.
You can watch video at MyFox Detroit
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