Business' CCW bans contribute to increased potential for firearms theft

May 26, 2004
NewsNet5.com

Don't Park On Street In Downtown Cleveland

CLEVELAND -- Car theft happens every day in America. And not too long ago it happened to Debbie Trevarthen twice.

"My husband came and said, 'Where did you park the car?' and I said, 'Right on the corner.' and it was gone," she said.

Thieves stole Trevarthen's 1994 Pontiac Sunbird two times in less than three months. The second time they stripped it bare.

"Everything was gone, engine, everything was gone," Trevarthen said.

NewsChannel5 analyzed a full year's worth of stolen car reports from Cleveland to Akron and surrounding suburbs. This information could help you protect your car from being stolen. (The darker the color in the area code pictures, the more cars stolen.)

Trevarthen's car was stolen at Great Lakes Mall. Her car was one of 13 cars stolen from the mall last year.

At Great Northern Mall, thieves stole 15 cars. And at South Park Mall, they got five.

"Those vehicles can be stolen in a matter of less than 30 seconds," said Progressive Insurance agent John Sauerland.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

Sauerland, general manager, says nowadays mall parking lots are less attractive targets for car thieves because of better security.

"In Ohio, Cleveland is the hot spot for auto theft," Sauerland said.

He said Cleveland runs at 10 times the national average for stolen cars.

"When we go downtown, we can go into the parking garage or the Indians games we park in garages. I wouldn't park on the street," he said.

Sauerland said it's a good idea for Trevarthen to park in a garage, but an even better idea may be to avoid the three hot spots NewsChannel5 found.

Cleveland Stolen Car Hot Spots:
Area just west of downtown, the 44102 zip code -- 89 cars disappeared last year
Newburg Heights in the 44105 zip code -- 74 cars stolen
Memphis Avenue near Old Brooklyn in the 44109 zip code -- 72 cars stolen

Akron Stolen Car Hot Spots:
Area surrounding the University of Akron in the 44306 zip code -- 180 cars stolen
Akron/Maple Valley Area in the 44320 zip code -- 140 cars were stolen
North Hill area of Akron in the 44310 zip code -- 124 cars stolen

Trevarthen now drives a minivan she borrowed from a relative. She can't afford to buy a new car just yet, nor can she afford to lose the one that she takes back to the mall every day.

"That's where I work, I don't get much of a choice. I have to park my car. I keep it locked," she said.

Commentary:
There are multitudes of ironies in this story, not the least of which is the fact that there are MANY businesses within these high-risk target areas in Akron and Cleveland that post signs which force employees and customers to leave their firearms, which they are licensed to carry, in their cars.

Progressive Insurance agent John Sauerland claims that more security makes malls less attractive targets for car thievery. But when malls and other businesses (Progressive Insurance itself discriminates against CHL-holders!) post signs, their parking lots become increasingly attractive targets for criminals who wish to steal firearms.

Police say criminals are known to "case" parking lots, watching for citizens who they see storing their firearm or other valuables before entering a store.

According to the 2002 FBI Uniform Crime Report, 1 in every 99 vehicles are stolen in Toledo; 1 in every 93 are stolen in Columbus; 1 in every 53 are stolen in Cleveland, and Dayton tops the list of Ohio cities - 1 in every 47 vehicles stolen. The complete 2003 report will be available later this summer.

From purse-snatching operations in Cincinnati and Columbus, to burglaries, vandalism and car theft in movie theatre and mall parking lots, it is obvious that Gahanna Police Chief Murphy was right when he told Senators that the safest place for a CCW-licenseholder's firearm is on the hip of it's owner.

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