Grand theft auto : the technology of stealing cars /
John A. Heitmann and Rebecca H. Morales.
- Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, (c)2014.
- 1 online resource.
Includes bibliographies and index.
Introduction -- Park at your own risk -- "Stop, thief!" -- Juvenile delinquents, hardened criminals, and ineffectual technological solutions -- From the personal garage to the surveillance society -- Car theft in the electronic and digital age -- Mexico, the U.S., and international auto theft -- The recent past -- Conclusion stealing the American dream -- Appendix A: Various U.S. automobile theft crime reports and surveys, 1924-2010 -- Appendix B: Tables.
"As early as 1910 Americans recognized that cars were easy to steal and, once stolen, hard to find. A car was its own getaway vehicle, and cars looked much alike. Model styles and colors eventually changed, and so did the means of making a stolen car disappear. Though changing license plates and serial numbers remain basic procedure, thieves have created highly sophisticated networks to disassemble stolen vehicles, distribute the parts, and/or ship the altered cars out of the country. Stealing cars naturally has become as technologically advanced as the cars themselves"-Provided by publisher.
9781421412986
Automobile theft--History.--United States Automobile theft--Prevention.--United States Automobiles--Technological innovations. Automobile thieves--United States. Grand Theft Auto games--Social aspects. Automobile theft--Mexican-American Border Region.