50+ vehicles recovered in Warren auto theft ring

By KIM NORTH SHINE

The majority of the stolen vehicles, 24, came from Detroit, 13 came from Warren and the rest from Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Farms, Harper Woods, Dearborn Heights and Hazel Park. Three of the vehicles were never reported stolen. They all have been returned to their owners, all in one piece as opposed to in pieces had the thieves sold to a true chop shop, Sheriff Hackel said.

The sting operation started when a police got a tip about how chop shops find their car thieves to buy from. The task force set up a storefront in Warren - the location is being kept confidential - and began buying stolen vehicles.

The transations between the officers and thieves were clearly captured on video recordings, which were shown at the news conference Wednesday. Several of the suspects smiled, looked casual as they dropped off their stolen cars in exchange for $200.

They each face several years in prison if convicted.

The team of undercover officers formed a yearround task force called the Macomb Auto Theft Squad, which is made up of investigators from the Sheriff's Department and several cities, including Warren, Sterling Heights, Eastpointe and Clinton Township.

HEAT, Help Eliminate Auto Theft, assisted in the investigation and the National Insurance Crime Bureau provided information and financial suipport.

Dwyer called auto theft "a disease" and noted that after a drop in car thefts in Warren, which is the state's third-largest city with the second-highest auto theft rate in Michigan, they could be going back up.

In Warren in 2006, there were 1,805 vehicle thefts. In 2007, there were 1,246. This year there have been 1,004 so far.

Statewide in 2007, 42,151 automobiles were stolen, he said.

Source