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Old 03-04-2015, 11:51 PM
 
28,107 posts, read 63,391,831 times
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According to the chief of police at the town hall we attended last week (Before the Car Theft)... there can be a catch and release policy and his example was catching a juvenile in a breaking and entering and catching the same one again within 24 hours... clearly something is wrong.

Many arrested to have long rap sheets... it's not typical that someone wakes up one morning and decides to steal a car.

If Mom's car comes back, I would spend the $700 for Lojack... never had an alarm... but, in this case it would be well worth it for the peace of mind...

CSAA said 90% of cars are recovered... sounds great until he said many are hulks...

Crime... at least one I am somehow close to was very rare... now, it is at least a weekly occurrence...

Either someone I know or someplace I frequent...
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Old 03-04-2015, 11:54 PM
 
Location: Living rent free in your head
42,721 posts, read 25,889,902 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DriveNotCommute View Post
It isn't one car but for the worst of the worst who cause accumulated damage equal or greater than a life.

Of course, there's the presumption on my part that the value of life can be measured and assigned an estimation. My view is that cumulative damage adds up. Eventually, no matter how generous we are, there must be a point reached where the sum of lives damaged has reasonable equivalency to a single life taken away.

But felony level punishment, without early release exemptions, would be a good enough substitute.

California has a number of sentence enhancements for repeat offenders, some of them doubling the sentence, but what I think needs to be considered here is that car thieves are usually young, non-violent offenders. They are probably among the best candidates of any offender for rehabilitation. Prison is nothing more than a crime university, go in a car thief come out an armed robber. But a period of time in jail followed by supervised probation with release from probation predicated upon meeting a number of goals, i.e. restitution, educational accomplishments, jobs, or community service has proven successful in reducing recidivism.
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Old 03-05-2015, 12:54 AM
 
Location: Orange County, CA
807 posts, read 891,661 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2sleepy View Post
California has a number of sentence enhancements for repeat offenders, some of them doubling the sentence, but what I think needs to be considered here is that car thieves are usually young, non-violent offenders. They are probably among the best candidates of any offender for rehabilitation. Prison is nothing more than a crime university, go in a car thief come out an armed robber. But a period of time in jail followed by supervised probation with release from probation predicated upon meeting a number of goals, i.e. restitution, educational accomplishments, jobs, or community service has proven successful in reducing recidivism.
I agree with the theory and would like to see such programs running in full force and be already effective. My frustration is with the current reality where victims are clearly currently being produced, so something obviously isn't right.

Prop 47 will be tested after some lag time of about a year or so before the funding materializes and then more time as the education is administered (if it is even properly funded). At which point we need to see if they're offered the jobs they need to stay clean.

The worst people who deliberately keep going back to disrupting lives even after being given chances to correct themselves should face the harshest penalties though. Petty theft like occasional small cash fits Prop 47's intent. To me though, cars are of significantly greater value not only monetarily but given the US car culture, is also our lifeline to our lives whether it is work or just getting by. It is not a minor crime at all: Even if someone isn't physically hurt, lives could take crippling damage from the loss. For example, someone who could only afford liability insurance.
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Old 03-05-2015, 01:51 AM
 
15,631 posts, read 26,112,792 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DriveNotCommute View Post
Any new updates? Stories like these make me angry.

I'd like to add to 2sleepy's small car suggestions, the smallest Toyota would be the Yaris but there's also the hatchback Matrix.

Cars are a big part of people's lives, somehow I don't think it's right for repeat car thieves to be treated as being as harmless as common thieves. At some point the total summed loss in vehicles and productivity caused by a single career thief could exceed the value that a person may earn in their entire lifetime. In other words, career car thieves can inflict damage to society that is arguably equivalent to entire lives. Shouldn't that be a capital crime?
Matrix isn't being made anymore -- but I love mine (2004).

Someone taking what is yours is a violation. I can see why she is upset. I've had my house broken into (and an apartment) and it's just awful feeling. And there's information in your car that could lead them to your home... and they know you aren't there.... you're where they took your car...

Jerks.
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Old 03-05-2015, 08:46 AM
 
Location: Living rent free in your head
42,721 posts, read 25,889,902 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DriveNotCommute View Post
I agree with the theory and would like to see such programs running in full force and be already effective. My frustration is with the current reality where victims are clearly currently being produced, so something obviously isn't right.

Prop 47 will be tested after some lag time of about a year or so before the funding materializes and then more time as the education is administered (if it is even properly funded). At which point we need to see if they're offered the jobs they need to stay clean.

The worst people who deliberately keep going back to disrupting lives even after being given chances to correct themselves should face the harshest penalties though. Petty theft like occasional small cash fits Prop 47's intent. To me though, cars are of significantly greater value not only monetarily but given the US car culture, is also our lifeline to our lives whether it is work or just getting by. It is not a minor crime at all: Even if someone isn't physically hurt, lives could take crippling damage from the loss. For example, someone who could only afford liability insurance.
prop 47 only makes auto theft a misdemeanor if the value of the car is less than $950. I'm not saying that's good or bad, just passing along the info. I agree about the lack of programs and I hope the state addresses that. For the past 3 years the state has been handing out hundreds of millions to Counties because of AB109, unfortunately they never earmarked what the money has to be spent for so some Counties are putting zero into counseling and rehab programs and building elaborate new jails with the money
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Old 03-05-2015, 11:32 PM
 
28,107 posts, read 63,391,831 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallysmom View Post
Matrix isn't being made anymore -- but I love mine (2004).

Someone taking what is yours is a violation. I can see why she is upset. I've had my house broken into (and an apartment) and it's just awful feeling. And there's information in your car that could lead them to your home... and they know you aren't there.... you're where they took your car...

Jerks.
Spent another day looking at cars after mom signed some papers at the Insurance Company...

Mom kept all her service records with the manuals in the glove box and the certificate she was given on build day at the factory... they certainly know where she lives plus they have her East Bay Regional Park pass and some personal items like photographs and a Saint Christopher that has been in every car she owned... maybe why never a ticket or accident?

The last car we saw today was in San Mateo and when I pulled up, said this looks like the one... it was 8 model years newer, single female owner with 40,000 miles and super clean, garage kept and immaculate...

Knock on the door and said we spoke earlier and I was here to buy the car... the woman apologized and said she just sold it to a young grad student from Hong Kong studying at Stanford... I asked if she got her full ask price of $11,500 and there was silence...

It really was that nice and the same colors and trim as hers... I even said her friends might think it was the same unless they were up on Toyota Corollas.

Just can't seem to catch a break on this and every waking hour not at work has had something to do with this loss... it will be 7 days tomorrow....

Did see a very nice Matrix that had also been sold earlier today... seems there are plenty of cash buyers out there for clean low mileage cars.
Attached Thumbnails
Castro Valley Car Thefts including Mom's this week.-2009-corolla-s-front.jpg   Castro Valley Car Thefts including Mom's this week.-2009-corolla-s-interior.jpg   Castro Valley Car Thefts including Mom's this week.-2009-corolla-s-rear.jpg  
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Old 03-05-2015, 11:48 PM
 
4,040 posts, read 4,839,425 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultrarunner View Post
Spent another day looking at cars after mom signed some papers at the Insurance Company...

Mom kept all her service records with the manuals in the glove box and the certificate she was given on build day at the factory... they certainly know where she lives plus they have her East Bay Regional Park pass and some personal items like photographs and a Saint Christopher that has been in every car she owned... maybe why never a ticket or accident?

The last car we saw today was in San Mateo and when I pulled up, said this looks like the one... it was 8 model years newer, single female owner with 40,000 miles and super clean, garage kept and immaculate...

Knock on the door and said we spoke earlier and I was here to buy the car... the woman apologized and said she just sold it to a young grad student from Hong Kong studying at Stanford... I asked if she got her full ask price of $11,500 and there was silence...

It really was that nice and the same colors and trim as hers... I even said her friends might think it was the same unless they were up on Toyota Corollas.

Just can't seem to catch a break on this and every waking hour not at work has had something to do with this loss... it will be 7 days tomorrow....

Did see a very nice Matrix that had also been sold earlier today... seems there are plenty of cash buyers out there for clean low mileage cars.
Wow, that's some story! She made an appointment with you, but sold the car to someone else? Her bad. I hate it when people don't honor commitments. At least she could have scheduled the student for after your appointment.

That happened to me once. Kind of similar situation; I was looking for a specific make & model that aren't made anymore. They were popular where I used to live, due to the way they handle in the snow. I had test-driven the car, and went home to get cash, and told the owner (older female, single owner, garaged car, like you were saying) I'd be right back. While I drove home and got the cash, I called again, and she said someone who had seen it a week earlier and decided it was too expensive came back and offered hundreds over the asking price, so she gave it to them. Well, I'd told her I could pay over the asking price when I test-drove it, and she said that wouldn't be necessary, I could have it at asking price. And I offered again, and she said "no". But then she sold it to someone else.

Not kosher. And the one you found sounds like the perfect one for your mom, too. I hope the seller realized her mistake.

Last edited by NewbiePoster; 03-06-2015 at 12:06 AM..
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Old 03-05-2015, 11:59 PM
 
Location: Living rent free in your head
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Have you tried CarMax? I've heard good things about the one in Fairfield, but I have no personal experience with them.
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Old 03-06-2015, 10:26 AM
 
28,107 posts, read 63,391,831 times
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I've been trying all of the sites...

Cars do come and go and the one that got away was just a private party on Craigslist...

Dealers are on average 2k higher or so it seems.

Ideally, it would be nice to get at least a continuation model so it will be somewhat familiar...

She absolutely does not like the new model... from looks and from sitting inside.

The front looks like an angry bird... she wants a car that looks happy if I'm saying it right.
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Old 03-06-2015, 05:01 PM
 
121 posts, read 141,585 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultrarunner View Post
I've been trying all of the sites...

Cars do come and go and the one that got away was just a private party on Craigslist...

Dealers are on average 2k higher or so it seems.

Ideally, it would be nice to get at least a continuation model so it will be somewhat familiar...

She absolutely does not like the new model... from looks and from sitting inside.

The front looks like an angry bird... she wants a car that looks happy if I'm saying it right.
If she wants a happy look then try the Mazda 3 or CX5. They are not expensive and are regarded as reliable cars.

Subaru Impreza and Crosstrek are also good options.

check out kbb.com for reviews
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