Dallas PD hopes new system to report vehicle thefts will help them solve increasing number of cases
DALLAS - The number of stolen cars, trucks, and SUVs in Dallas jumped by 40% from 2022 to 2023.
Less than a month ago, Dallas PD started a new approach to try and improve response times for the crimes.
Stolen vehicles might be sold, parted off, or used to commit other crimes.
Vehicle thefts are a growing problem.
FOX 4 reported some staggering numbers a year ago, and it’s getting much worse.
Dallas auto thefts increase 12% from 2021 to 2022
Some non-violent crimes, like thefts of cars, trucks and SUVs in the city have increased significantly. There were more than 13,000 auto thefts last year, and that was a nearly 12% increase over 2021.
A 2021 Chevrolet Camaro was a dream car for Abdirahman Osman.
Osman drove it to celebrate his 20th birthday with friends at a movie theater off Technology Boulevard in Northwest Dallas on December 16.
That’s the last time he saw his Camaro.
"I came outside, I saw my car was gone. I was in disbelief, at the same time, I didn’t want to believe it," Osman recalled.
He reported the Camaro stolen to the Dallas Police Department. He said he has not heard any information of substance related to the investigation.
"The car could be in California, the car could be in Washington, it could anywhere, you know?" Osman said.
New Dallas PD data reveals there were 18,769 auto thefts in 2023. That’s a 40% increase from 2022.
"This is not just a Dallas problem, it’s a nationwide problem," Dallas PD public information officer Kristin Lowman said.
Dallas police roll out new system to report vehicle thefts on the rise
Right now, the average response time to a stolen vehicle is 12 hours. Starting Monday, the department launched a new reporting system to try to cut down on those wait times.
Last month, Dallas PD launched a new system for reporting vehicle thefts.
Victims still call 911, but an officer later calls back via video chat.
"Laptop, smartphone, iPad. They can all be utilized to take those [video calls]," Lowman said.
The concept is to cut the time that officers would spend heading out to create an in-person report.
The department estimates that’s two hours per call.
"And they’re also hopefully going to be able to recover their vehicle sooner as well," Lowman added.
Since the new system launched, DPD has taken 379 reports.
The department believes it’s creating time to focus on higher priorities.
"But we also have to look at those priorities and what is more important. For us, violent crime, life, will always be more important than property," Lowman said.
Osman hopes his Camaro will be recovered.
"Right now, it’s been three weeks. It’s slim," he said. "I don’t have reliable transportation and everything."
For now, he’s using a friend’s ride to get to work.
"I don’t want nobody to go through this," he added.
Dallas PD said its vehicle theft recovery rate last year was about 75%.