Fresno is No. 1! But it's not for anything for which city officials or residents would be proud. CBS News reports that the city is first nationwide in auto thefts.
Fresno auto theft is a serious charge, punishable by prison time in California. Therefore, hiring Fresno Criminal Defense Lawyers is the first step any defendant should take to protect his or her rights.
Fresno leads Modesto, Bakersfield and Delano as the top three cities in the country for car thefts. Fresno police recently created the Career Criminal Auto Theft team in an effort to cut down on the number of vehicles being stolen.
The city has dedicated $150,000 to rent space in Madera County to keep car theft suspects locked up, the report states.
Oddly enough, Bloomberg reports that at the same time that Fresno is dealing with an auto theft crisis, vehicle thefts nationwide dropped to the lowest they've been since 1967, falling for the seventh straight year. The report attributes the decrease to more vehicles being equipped with security devices and new law enforcement tactics.
According to FBI data compiled by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, New York, Dallas, Detroit, Miami and Los Angeles all reported fewer vehicle thefts, along with more than 250 other urban areas.
Some police departments have been using "bait programs," where they leave vehicles unlocked with the keys inside in order to arrest suspects. Bloomberg reports that Fresno had 7,559 thefts in 2010.
Auto theft is a serious crime and while overcrowding has led to people being released from jail early, it doesn't mean the crime can go unpunished. According to California Penal Code 487, grand theft is committed when the value of something stolen is more than $950 and includes cars.
The charge, if convicted can be punishable by up to four years in a California state prison. So, the charges shouldn't be taken lightly. And as is the case with many auto theft suspects, they face multiple charges.
Police sometimes try to link one defendant or a group of defendants to a neighborhood of vehicle thefts, based on similar patterns. But without strong eyewitness accounts or being caught red-handed, sometimes these charges can be proven to be unfounded and the defendant is found not guilty.
But this requires an experienced Fresno defense attorney, one who has spent years fighting for defendants, protecting the rights of those accused of crime. With auto theft so prevalent in our society, police and politicians will be looking for ways to crack down and to try to prove to the public they is doing all they can to fight the crime.
This may lead to unwarranted criminal charges. So, if you or a loved one faces a grand theft auto charge in Fresno or the surrounding areas, call today. Don't make a statement to law enforcement before consulting with Fresno Criminal Defense Lawyers first.
If you need a Fresno criminal defense attorney, contact the Law Offices of Michael E. Mitchell at 559-222-2424 for a free consultation.
More Blog Entries:
Fresno Chop Shop Raid Nets Seven Arrests: June 1, 2011
Additional Resources:
U.S. Auto Thefts Fall to Lowest Since 1967 on 7.2% Drop in 2010, by Brooke Sutherland, Bloomberg
Fresno Tops the Nation in Stolen Cars, by Kathryn Herr, CBS News
