Deck 15: Motor Vehicle Theft

Question 1

A crime in which a stolen vehicle assumes the identity of a legally owned, or nonstolen, vehicle of a similar make and model is called:

A)counterfeiting.
B)vehicle cloning.
C)strip and ship.
D)invisible theft.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What does NCIC stand for?

A)National Criminal Information Commission
B)National Cooperative Information Commission
C)National Crime Information Center
D)National Car and Identity Center

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The most important means of identifying an automobile is its:

A)title and registration.
B)license plates.
C)VIN.
D)make and model.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

If an officer stops a vehicle, what might suggest that the car is stolen?

A)hesitation in pulling over
B)cannot find the vehicle registration
C)wearing gloves in hot weather
D)immediately asking why s/he was stopped

Question 5

Which type of physical evidence should officers be particularly careful to search for in a vehicle theft case?

A)license plate number and any unique markings
B)make and model as well as color of automobile
C)evidence that rake and pick guns were used
D)direction and estimated speed of travel

Question 6

Transporting a stolen vehicle across state lines is a violation of what act?

A)Harrison Act
B)Wickersham Act
C)Mann Act
D)Dyer Act

Question 7

A possible indication of a stolen vehicle might include which of the following?

A)a car that is swerving
B)dirty plates on a dirty car
C)a sloppily applied dealer's sticker
D)a vehicle speeding

Question 8

With this type of system, the engine recognizes only the preprogrammed key(s) assigned to the car.

A)immobilizer system
B)panic alarm
C)stop-and-go system
D)GPS system

Question 9

Someone who needs an alibi or a cover-up for an accident or even for misplacing the car may:

A)call the police and confess.
B)steal a car.
C)deface their own car.
D)file a false police report.

Question 10

The state with the most auto thefts is currently:

A)New York.
B)New Jersey.
C)California.
D)Texas.

Question 11

The profit on stripped auto parts and accessories is:

A)extremely low.
B)fairly low.
C)moderate.
D)extremely high.

Question 12

When the police use a car to try to trap a car theft suspect by placing it in a high crime area, the vehicle is called a ____ car.

A)hot
B)decoy
C)bait
D)gotcha

Question 13

Legitimate ownership of a motor vehicle exists when the vehicle is any EXCEPT which of the following?

A)owned by a private person or company
B)being sold by an authorized dealership
C)in the factory being manufactured
D)being loaned to another

Question 14

Motor vehicle thefts are often associated with:

A)organized crime rings.
B)stripping vehicles for parts and accessories or reselling vehicles for profit.
C)cars, trucks, construction equipment, and even recreational equipment.
D)carjacking, robbery, getaway cars, and car bombings.

Question 15

Which of the following is recommended as a way to improve an officer's ability to recognize stolen vehicles?

A)Keep a "cold sheet" in the car.
B)Run the plate of every vehicle that passes by.
C)Frequently drive through the poorest neighborhoods.
D)Take time to check suspicious persons and vehicles.

Question 16

A business that takes stolen cars apart to sell the parts for a profit is known as a:

A)strip-and-peel shop.
B)chop shop.
C)midnight auto supply.
D)shake and bake.

Question 17

For purposes of theft, the definition of a motor vehicle includes which of the following?

A)homemade motor vehicles, such as kit cars
B)hang-gliders
C)sailboats
D)remote-controlled vehicles

Question 18

In order to rule out the possibility of a false report of vehicle theft, officers should check to see if:

A)there is organized gang activity in the area.
B)someone wanted to provide an alibi for crashing the car.
C)the vehicle was intentionally misplaced in a parking lot.
D)there are multiple individuals on the title of the vehicle.

Question 19

The elements of motor vehicle theft are:

A)intentionally taking or driving a motor vehicle without the consent of the owner or the owner's authorized agent.
B)taking a motor vehicle from the owner with the intent to sell or remove the vehicle or use it for crime.
C)taking an automobile with the intent to sell the automobile or to sell its part or otherwise profit from the theft.
D)joyriding for pleasure or for criminal activity such as the use of the vehicle in the commission of a theft.

Question 20

The Vehicle Identification Number of an automobile is:

A)always the same as the EN number.
B)the registration number.
C)chosen by the owner as a personal identifying feature.
D)an unduplicated number assigned by the manufacturer.

Question 21

The National Insurance Crime Bureau Web site suggests a four-layered approach to combat auto theft: common sense, visible and audible warning devices, immobilizing devices, and:

A)slide-lock devices.
B)tinted windows.
C)tracing devices.
D)self-deflating tires.

Question 22

The Dyer Act made vehicle theft a federal crime.

Question 23

A motor vehicle includes any self-propelled devices for moving people or property or for pulling implements, whether operated on land, in the water or in the air.

Question 24

One method of improving an officer's ability to find stolen motor vehicles is by developing a checking system to rapidly determine whether a suspicious vehicle is stolen.

Question 25

A stolen motor vehicle driven by a criminal is 150-200 times more likely to be in an accident than is a vehicle driven
by a noncriminal.

Question 26

The VIN for each vehicle contains information on the location of the owner's residence.

Question 27

Snowmobiles do not generally have specific identification numbers.

Question 28

A small market exists for stolen airbags.

Question 29

High-end luxury cars are not usually the targets of cloning.

Question 30

Vehicle insurance fraud is a minor economic crime that has little effect on insurance rates.

Question 31

According to data from the FBI, what is the percentage of stolen vehicles recovered?

A)57
B)62
C)67
D)72

Question 32

What is the name of the program instituted in New York City that gives the police permission to stop any vehicle being driven between 1 A.M.and 5 A.M.if the vehicle has a sticker indicating that the owner of the vehicle participates in this program?

A)HEAT
B)CAT
C)ATTF
D)NVIP

Question 33

Beyond its use to identify specific vehicles, the VIN also conveys other information such as nation of origin, manufacturer, and model year.

Question 34

The NICB serves as a clearinghouse for information on stolen cars.

Question 35

K-9 vehicles are less likely to be stolen than other police vehicles.

Question 36

In 2012, the Honda Accord was the most stolen auto in the United States.

Question 37

A vehicle stolen for joyriding is generally kept longer than one stolen for transportation.

Question 38

Installing brighter lights in areas where cars are parked has been successfully used to combat auto theft.

Question 39

Construction equipment is rarely stolen.

Question 40

One characteristic of a stolen vehicle is that it has only one license plate when two are required.

Question 41

What is the purpose of the Dyer Act?

Question 42

If someone answers an ad in the newspaper for a particular car for sale, takes the car for a test drive, and never returns it, it is considered a case of motor vehicle _______________.

Question 43

Why would someone file a false vehicle theft report?

Question 44

Explain how vehicle cloning is carried out, who the typical perpetrators are, and how this crime may be linked to other crimes.

Question 45

What are the six major categories of motor vehicle theft?

Question 46

NICB stands for National Crime Bureau.

Question 47

Setting up a(n) _______________ operation is one method of combating motor vehicle theft.

Question 48

What types of information can you learn from a VIN, and how would this information verify that the VIN on the car belongs to the car you are examining?

Question 49

Describe the elements of the crime of interstate transportation of a motor vehicle.

Question 50

Some _______________ cars are equipped with telematic technology, which enables the transfer of information between the car and a remote computer.

Question 51

The National Motor Vehicle Theft Act is also known as the _______________ Act.

Question 52

The secure-idle system is a means of preventing the theft of construction vehicles.

Question 53

A(n)_______________ shop may help vehicle owners dispose of a car for insurance fraud purposes.

Question 54

VIN stands for _______________.

Question 55

The Dyer Act was amended in 1945 to include _______________.

Question 56

Trucks and trailers are generally stolen by professional thieves.

Question 57

A(n) _______________ is generally a youth who takes a motor vehicle for only temporary use.

Question 58

Most recoveries of stolen motor vehicles involve vehicles stolen from out of state.

Question 59

What two agencies can help investigate motor vehicle theft, and what does each agency offer in terms of assistance?

Question 60

No two VINs are _______________.

Question 61

What are some of the characteristics of the driver of a stolen vehicle?

Question 62

List and explain the steps you would take and the questions you would ask when questioning the driver of a vehicle you suspect is stolen.

Question 63

What kinds of strategies have police departments developed to combat auto theft?

Question 64

How does the Mobile Plate Hunter-900 work?

Question 65

Discuss the vulnerability of police cars to theft.What are some of the primary concerns, and what technological innovations have been employed to prevent the theft of patrol cars?

Question 66

How is the routine activity approach applied to motor vehicle theft?

Question 67

Why are trucks, trailers, construction vehicles, and construction equipment stolen? What are some of the most commonly stolen pieces of equipment in these categories?