Auto-theft capital no more: Fresno Police Department's special team targets car thieves

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The City of Fresno is present reporting important progress, conscionable years aft it was ranked the car theft superior of the country.

"A batch of different large cities are inactive seeing an uptick successful car theft," Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto said during a caller interview. "We're seeing a immense decline, 41% conscionable twelvemonth to date. That's implicit 1000 cars less than past year."

Casto confirms the diminution follows a targeted effort by her officers, including a specialized team.

"It looks similar plainclothes officers," Casto said. "It looks similar uniformed officers, knowing wherever stolen cars are dropped, spending clip successful those areas."

The Career Criminal Auto Theft Team has 12 detectives.

Doug Goertzen is 1 of 2 undercover sergeants. Action News agreed not to amusement his face.

"We are retired being proactive, proactively looking for stolen cars (and) car thieves," helium said.

Action News joined the sergeant for respective hours Tuesday arsenic his squad looked for stolen vehicles passim the city.

"What are you looking for?" Action News asked.

"Mostly Kias and Hyundais close present due to the fact that they're the highest oregon the astir common(ly) stolen successful the city," Sgt. Goertzen said.

Technology allows constabulary to enactment up of the criminals. The section has real-time entree to licence sheet readers astatine fashionable buying centers.

"If a stolen car were to thrust done River Park, we would get a notification connected that, and we would respond up there," Sgt. Goertzen said.

The ride-along did not crook up immoderate stolen vehicles. Goertzen believes it is simply a motion that the policing is working...

"We drove astir for a fewer hours and had a hard clip uncovering any, truthful it is getting harder to find the stolen cars, which is simply a positive," helium said.

In 14 years, Fresno has fallen much than 20 spots.

But, determination are inactive thousands of stolen vehicles. 1423 truthful acold this year, Sgt. Goertzen said, which is astir six per day.

"We person immoderate precise talented radical here," Chief Casto said. "We leverage that endowment and their hard enactment with technology, and we'll halt astatine thing to halt a transgression who is victimizing our city."

Steering instrumentality locks are disposable for escaped astatine the Fresno Police Department.

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