Common Sense is your best defense against auto theft:

• Lock your car and take your keys with you

• Never hide a second set of keys in your car

• Park in well-lit areas.

• Park in attended lots.

• Never leave your car running unattended. Vehicles are commonly stolen at ATMs, convenience stores, day care centers, etc.

• Completely close all car windows when parked.

• Don't leave valuables in plain view.

• Park your vehicle with wheels turned toward the curb.

• If your vehicle is rear-wheel drive, back into your driveway to make towing more difficult for thieves.

• Conversely, if your vehicle is front-wheel drive, pull forward into your driveway.

• Always use your emergency brake when parked.

• If you have a garage, use it.

• When parked in a garage, lock the garage door as well as your vehicle.

• Never leave the registration or title in your car.

• Replace "T-shaped" door locks with straight locks.

• Stolen cars are more easily traced when Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) have been etched on car windows.

• Engrave expensive accessories and major parts with your VIN or personal identification number.

Investing in vehicle protection:

• Ignition kill switches prevent the engine from starting.

• Fuel kill switches halt the fuel supply.

• Visible steering wheel locks prevent the steering wheel from being turned.

• Floorboard locks disable the gas or brake pedal to prevent the use of these pedals.

• Gearshift locks disable shifting of the transmission.

• Tire or wheel locks prevent the vehicle from moving.

• Hood locks prevent thieves from gaining access to your security system and battery.

• Armored collars around the steering column deter thieves from breaking into the steering column to get to the ignition wires.

• Audio alarms emit loud warning sounds when the doors, hood or trunk are opened.

• Vehicle tracking systems which are installed in your vehicle, are activated when your car is stolen. These systems alert the police to the location of your vehicle for quick recovery.

Different types of auto theft:

• To sell the entire vehicle - One of the most common reasons to steal a car is simply to sell it again, in the same way that any stolen property is "fenced" illegally. Often thieves will take the car across state lines or even international borders. To escape detection, identification numbers may be altered or obliterated, titles and registrations forged, and the vehicle repainted.

• To sell the parts - Perhaps more frequently, vehicles are stolen in order to obtain the parts. Selling the parts individually may bring a thief two or three times what he could get selling the vehicle whole. Gangs of car thieves will set up "chop shops" that can strip a car down to its component parts in a matter of minutes. Often these thieves work in partnership with crooked repair shops and mechanics who are eager to purchase the stolen parts at a discount.

• To obtain transportation - Sometimes a thief will steal a vehicle simply to provide transportation for himself. Typically, the thief will use the vehicle for his own purposes only for as long as he deems it safe, then abandoning or selling the vehicle before it can be traced to him.

• To trade for drugs - This increasingly alarming trend is often referred to as "cars for crack," since that is the drug most often associated with this type of car theft. The addict will "loan" his vehicle to a crack dealer in exchange for the drug. The drug dealer, in turn, uses the vehicle to transport his drugs, or even commit other crimes, with no threat of having to forfeit his own property when caught. If the drug dealer does not return the car or the car is seized by law enforcement, the addict reports the car as stolen to his insurance company. Should the insurance company settle the claim, the addict simply repeats the process.

• To go joyriding - Auto thefts by juveniles for status or thrills continues to be a major problem. Often, the stolen car is simply abandoned later, but increasingly juvenile thieves are becoming involved in "cars for crack" or are working in collusion with organized criminal operations.

• To commit other crimes - Sometimes, vehicles are stolen in order to be used in the commission of other crimes, such as drive-by shootings, burglaries and armed robberies. By using a stolen car, the criminals hope to reduce the chances that the crime will be traced back to them.

• To commit insurance fraud - This type, usually referred to as an "owner give-up" typically involves either leased vehicles with very high mileage whose turn-in costs are high or purchased vehicles whose owners no longer desire to make the monthly payments. The owner arranges to have the vehicle stolen or abandons it in a known high-theft area (hence, the "give-up"). In some cases, the owner may simply hide the vehicle somewhere and report it stolen to the police and insurance company. To ensure that the car is a write-off, the owner may actually burn the vehicle to obtain a total loss. While initially investigated as a vehicle theft, this criminal act is also insurance fraud.

• To clone your vehicle - Nowadays, thieves can even steal your car without you knowing it! By removing your owner's registration and insurance card from your vehicle, a thief can use those documents to obtain a license plate registered to you. The thief then steals a vehicle which is identical or similar to yours and counterfeits your vehicle's identification number (known as VIN) onto it. The result is two vehicles with the same VIN and registration. Naturally, if the stolen vehicle is involved in an accident or used in a crime, the police will think it's yours. Clearing up the confusion can be a lengthy and annoying process. Your best bet: don't keep your registration and insurance cards, or any other pertinent vehicle information, in your vehicle.