Griffin Speaks

THEY STOLE THE WHOLE CAR

A few years ago I encountered a problem with car thieves stealing my hubcaps off my State owned 94 Chevy Caprice. A co-worker suggested that I replace the sought after hubcaps with fake ones from Kmart. I accepted his suggestion and the hubcap theft ended. My problem was solved at least I thought.

On Sunday, October 20,2002 in the morning hour I walked outside my door to find that not only were my hubcaps missing on my Parole Board owned vehicle, but also the entire vehicle had disappeared. I could hardly believe my eyes. My walking buddy thought that I was joking and insisted that the vehicle was safely in my garage. I opened the garage and he saw that this was no joking matter.

A call to 911 resulted in Officer K.D. Palmer arriving at the crime scene within minutes. He asked the appropriate questions and filled out the police report. I was very impressed with this Montgomery Police Officer. He was one of the nicest MPD Officers that I have ever met. I am going to write the Mayor and express my gratitude. I intend to follow his career! (Promotion! Promotion! Promotion!)

What I did not know was how common car thefts are in Montgomery, Alabama. My state vehicle is one of the most sought after cars in the city. Young teenagers are fixated on the Chevys.

I concluded that my vehicle was stolen around 4 a.m. in the morning. That is the exact time that I heard a thumping sound. I got out of bed and adjusted a picture on the wall believing that it was the cause of the sound. I was mistaken.

When I left for Church I saw a young black male driving my car. I chased him down Goode Street and called the police. He was driving like a bat out of hell. He had taken the fake hubcaps off the car, but I recognized that it was my red Caprice. He lost me when he turned on West Patton. I don’t know what got into me to chase him. I realize that it was not a smart thing to do. I had my kids in the car and they were yelling, “get him daddy!” What would I have done if I had caught him? Perhaps I would have made a citizens arrest. I don’t think so!

I did some research on the Internet and learned that in Montgomery, Alabama we have a program called “WATCH YOUR CAR.” The program consists of a voluntary vehicle registration program. It is designed to deter auto theft and assist police officers in the apprehension of auto thieves while protecting motor vehicles against theft and enhancing law enforcement outreach to the community. People owning vehicles that they do not ordinarily drive during the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. may choose to affix a front and back “WATCH YOUR CAR” sticker signifying that they have given consent to a motor vehicle stop, for the purpose of determining ownership of the vehicle and identity of the driver, during those hours.

A great number of auto thefts occur between the hours of 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. while the owners are asleep and unaware that their vehicles have been stolen. In many cases, the stolen vehicle is driven to a “chop Shop” or across State lines. Sometimes the vehicle is used in the commission of another crime. In any event the thief wants to avoid being noticed and will ordinarily forgo vehicles that will draw the attention of law enforcement officers. You must remember that it only takes a car thief sixty seconds to steal your vehicle.

If you are interested in registering for this program, you should contact the Montgomery Police Department Community Policing Division, 3046 Fairwest Place, Montgomery, Alabama 36108. For citizen convenience, alternate signup locations will regularly be set up in different communities. I suggest you call 334-240-4800 for a time and location nearest to you.

My heart goes out to the thief that stole the Parole Board’s vehicle. I can hardly wait for his Parole hearing if he is ever apprehended! The victim in this case is the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles.

The grapevine is still on hiatus!

Greg Griffin is a freelance writer. You can read his previous articles by logging on to his webpage at www.greggriffin.com