ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 31, 1996 TAG: 9601310029
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Marketplace
SOURCE: MEGAN SCHNABEL
Do you ever go to the mall, forget where you've parked your car, and then panic, certain that someone has swiped it?
Next time the old fear strikes, remember this: You're in Roanoke, not New York or Miami.
According to a recent study by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, one of every 454 registered vehicles was stolen in the Roanoke metropolitan area in 1994.
That's worse than Binghamton, N.Y., where just one of every 1,296 vehicles was stolen.
But it's much, much better than Miami and New York, which tied for the dubious honor of having the nation's worst auto theft rates: One of every 29 vehicles was swiped.
(And that's actually an improvement for both cities. In 1993, one of every 24 New York cars and one of every 27 Miami cars was stolen.)
But auto theft affects every city and every state. In 1994, auto theft cost $7.6 billion.
About 30 percent of stolen cars are never recovered - they may be shipped overseas, stripped and resold as parts, retagged and resold to unsuspecting customers, or destroyed by the owner to collect insurance.
Not even old cars are safe. A great many of the vehicles stolen every year are at least 5 years old. These older cars are taken to chop shops, where they're resold as parts.
In Virginia, a program called Help Eliminate Auto Theft - HEAT - has been educating consumers about auto theft since 1992. HEAT also offers rewards for tips that lead to the discovery of chop shops or theft rings.
The program trains local police and sponsors public crime prevention programs. For more information on HEAT, call (800) 947-HEAT.
The program is funded by insurance companies, who pay about 25 cents into a state fund for every comprehensive auto insurance policy they sell in Virginia.
If you've been thinking about buying an anti-theft device for your car but don't know what's out there - or what you can afford - here's a list of some popular alternatives, courtesy of the National Insurance Crime Bureau:
A steering wheel lock will run you from $25 to $100. It makes a good visual deterrent, and prevents the steering wheel from turning.
Kill switches are hidden switches that must be flipped on for the car to start. They can be fairly inexpensive - cost runs from $10 to $125 - and they're easy to install.
Car alarms vary widely in cost, from $150 to $1,000 or more. The best alarms arm themselves automatically when you leave the vehicle and include an automatic kill switch.
If you're willing to spend a little bit more - $400 to $1,500 - look into electronic tracking devices. They transmit electronic signals to the police or monitoring stations, and can help authorities recover vehicles before they can be stripped.
Tire locks are similar to the ``boots'' used by some police departments. They run $80 to $200, and they can greatly hamper thieves who are looking for a quick getaway.
Window etching will run you $20 to $100, although some vehicle theft-prevention groups will do it for free. By etching the vehicle identification number on the window and other car parts, you make your vehicle easier to trace - and less attractive to thieves.
The least expensive theft deterrent is a decal, which you can buy for $2 to $5. These decals, which say your car is protected by an alarm or a theft prevention company, may fool car thieves.
``If a professional wants your car, he's going to get it no matter what,'' Peters says. But visible anti-theft devices may help discourage casual thieves.
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Chart by staff: The top 10 stolen cars. color.by CNB