In recent years security agencies have become more and more concerned with the growing rate of vehicles in the Kingdom, being either stolen or vandalized. Rarely does a day go by with no car thefts being reported. Al-Riyadh Arabic daily interviewed several specialists and citizens to get an insight into the dimensions and serious impacts of this crime on the society. Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Yusuf, Professor of Sociology at Imam Mohammed Bin Saud Islamic University, said car thefts constitute 14 percent of the crime in Saudi society. Additionally, of that 14 percent 92 percent of the cars are found and returned to their owners. The ratio of cars stolen to that of those returned remains higher in the Kingdom than in most other countries. For example, the retrieval rate in France is close to 70 percent, while in Germany only 40 percent of the cars are found and in Italy 60 percent are found. Car theft is not a new phenomenon in the Kingdom, said Al-Yusuf. Whether the entire car is stolen or simply part of it, car thefts are on the rise across the world. Al-Yusuf said those involved in car thefts are mostly young unemployed people or students aged between 17 and 36 and young schoolboys form the majority of car thieves in Riyadh. Al-Yusuf quoted a study, which explained young unemployed males conduct one third of car thefts. Primarily because of the amount of free time they have since they do not attend school or work, Al-Yusuf said. Car theft is seen as a form of recreation for these young people, Al-Yusuf said. They steal the cars and then show off in front of others, in addition to the financial gain of selling a car for parts. Al-Yusuf said these thefts are facilitated by people leaving their cars outside with the engines running or when keys are left in car doors. The Crime Combat Research Center for the Ministry of Interior interviewed 450 prison inmates convicted of car thefts revealed close to 50 percent of car thefts occur because of driver negligence. Also, the court sentences and penalties for car thefts are relatively lenient compared to the seriousness of the crime. Al-Yusuf stressed the importance of using family, school, imam's and the media to help curtail the growing trend. He said creating awareness is paramount in order to slow or to stop car thefts. Several people who have had their cars stolen were unhappy with the procedures for reporting the thefts. Many complaints ranged from the police not doing anything, thus allowing the thieves to escape. The police recommend motorists to install devices such as alarms which frighten car thieves because of the amount of attention they draw to the car. The theft victims disagreed and said their cars already had anti theft devices but criminals know how to deactivate them. Residents in apartments and houses that do not have garages resort to hiring private guards, they said. They called for stiffer penalties against car thieves and those who purchase car parts from them. Owners of real estate offices confirmed that car thefts have increased the demand for ground-floor apartments with secure parking lots in the basement that are safe from car thieves. Tenants are ready to pay big amounts for such facilities, they said. – Al
