Berkeley Police Report High Recovery Rate Of Stolen Cars Kristin McFarland, Berkeley Daily Planet, Page 5, 8/14/2008

Berkeley police report a 96 percent recovery rate for cars stolen in Berkeley.
In 2006, 1,266 cars were reported stolen, while in 2007 1,154 were reported stolen. In August 2008, 29 cars have been reported stolen and 11 have been recovered.
"We have a very high recovery rate," Sgt. Mary Kusmiss, BPD community services bureau supervisor said. "Southern California has more vehicles stolen and chopped up or taken over the border. Here, cars are stolen for gas, joyrides, drug deals or to pick up a prostitute. It’s just a different culture of theft."
Stolen cars in Berkeley are most often recovered when they’ve been abandoned in a residential area or along the freeway. Often the cars are recovered when a resident, business owner or police officer notices a car parked strangely or for a long period of time, or a car that has a large number of citations.
The license number and description of all stolen cars are entered in the national Stolen Vehicle Service database of the National Crime Information Center. When police find a car they suspect has been stolen, they can search the database to confirm. Stolen cars are occasionally recovered when an officer stops the driver for another reason. When the officer reads the license number to the dispatcher, he or she will recognize that car as stolen.
According to Sgt. Kusmiss, the most frequently stolen makes of cars include Toyota, Honda, Saturn, and Acura. These brands often have similar keys, which are easily filed down to fit into any car’s ignition, making them the easiest to steal.
Police say the simplest and most effective theft prevention measure is a steering wheel locking device. The Berkeley Police Department Community Services Bureau has several hundred of these devices available, so a community member who calls the bureau can receive one for free, Sgt. Kusmiss said.
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The URL (web site) where you can find the Fire Risk Assessment for your property (if you are in the Fire District) is at: http://map.ci.berkeley.ca.us/home_fire_risk/
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Catalytic Converter Thieves Strike Berkeley Kristin McFarland, Berkeley Daily Planet, Page 5, 8/14/2008

Three catalytic converter thefts last week represent an ongoing trend in Berkeley and a nationwide epidemic.
"We have kind of a constant ebb and flow of catalytic converter thefts," said Sergeant Mary Kusmiss, BPD community services bureau supervisor. "We attribute that to a suspect or a particular suspect working in Berkeley over a weekend or a brief period of a time."
Police report that there were 74 catalytic converter thefts from Jan. 1 to July 31.
Last week’s thefts were reported on Monday, Aug. 4 in the 2900 block of Pine Avenue; on Tuesday, Aug. 5 in the 2100 block of Prince Street; and on Wednesday, Aug. 6 in the 2400 block of Prince Street.
Because the theft of a catalytic converter is not immediately obvious, many thefts are not reported for several days. The first two thefts reported are estimated to have occurred between Aug. 1 and Aug. 3.
The converters, which contain platinum, can be sold to illegal metal recyclers, who will give up to $100 per converter. Truly ingenuous thieves can actually extract the valuable metals from the converter, enabling them to sell the metal without the stolen car part.
Metal theft generally has increased in the past year as the sale price of all metals has increased dramatically. Police report stolen copper wiring, sheet metal and aluminum every week.
According to Sgt. Kusmiss, Berkeley has only one suspected metal recycler, so Berkeley thieves are likely taking the converters elsewhere to sell them.
El Cerrito police recently conducted a raid at the home of an individual suspected of buying catalytic converters. While the police were searching the home, more than 10 people showed up with catalytic converters to sell.
Thieves steal the auto part by removing bolts that attach it, or by sawing it off of the car. Sgt. Kusmiss said the best way to prevent the theft is by having the converter welded or clamped on rather than secured only by bolts.
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Crime Watch Alert: Catalytic Converters Stolen

This from the Halcyon e-letter:
On Tuesday 9/19 early morning . . . the catalytic converter was stolen off of my 1995 4-Runner. Apparently, Toyota trucks are one of the few vehicles where the part is just bolted on, not welded; BMW's may also have this characteristic.
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Apparently, the parts are being stolen for the precious metals in them,worth over $100. The thieves seem to be working in a team, probably getting about $25 each. They cost $200 - $1,000 to replace. If you have a Toyota truck, or know that your catalytic converter is only bolted on, I suggest you get it welded on ASAP; several places are doing this free or at a reduced rate. Otherwise, your first warning could be turning on your engine and having it sound like you installed one of those LOUD motorcycle mufflers.

If you know anything about these crimes, please email bsnc@bsnc.org ... the collected information will shared with the police property crimes detective.
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Poaching


[see links below the text]
1. City's Ordinance

2. How to Report Poaching: a primer developed by the Solid Waste Division, the BPD Community Services Bureau and the Ecology Center. This information was presented at the BSNC Meeting of January 2005.

Since then, the Solid Waste Disvision has alerted us to another issue that affects certain neighborhoods, that of illegal dumping. Particularly at school sites -the schools are putting the illegally dumped stuff in their refuse bins and paying the Solid Waste Division to take it away, when otherwise they are recycling enough to reduce their waste. Alternatively, it costs us/city to pick it up. The Solid Waste Division is asking if this is something that neighbors living near schools could keep an eye out for and to help identify the culprits?

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Ordinance

How to report poaching