If you own a white van with tools inside, beware.
That’s the word from Los Angeles police who say thieves are stealing white vans loaded with tools at locations across the west San Fernando Valley.
On Friday, the Los Angeles Police Department warned that since Nov. 1, there had been 27 thefts of white vans used by tradesmen in the Valley. The purpose of stealing the vans is to take the tools inside and sell them on the internet, officials said.
“We aren’t sure if it’s the same suspect, or just a new MO shared across the crime populous,” said LAPD Lt. Paul Weber, commanding officer of the Topanga Detective Division in a statement.
“The vans are usually taken overnight,” Weber explained.
In most cases, the vans are recovered pretty quickly but the tools are long gone, according to Weber.
“They are found a short time later (one to three days) and usually a short distance from the crime location,” he said about the vans. “That tells us the real target is the tools inside.”
Power tools are easily resold using online websites like Craigslist or Offerup as well as pawnshops and swap meets, according to police.
“Between November last year, and February 1, 2017, 20 Ford Econoline, five Chevy Express, and two GMC Savanna vans have been stolen with tools later removed,” Weber said.
Authorities offered the following tips to reduce the risk of stolen vans and tools:
• Lock the van
• Put an alarm in the van
• Place power tools inside a locked, security container inside the van
• Install a steering-wheel lock mechanism to discourage the theft of the van
• Etch a California driver’s license or identification number on all power tools and other tools
• Park vans inside secured structures or yards
Anyone with information on the case can contact LAPD Detective Brien Pogue of the Topanga Detective Division at 818-756-3537 or anonymously to Crimestoppers at 800-222-8477 or texting 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone.
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