Columbus - The Ohio State Highway Patrol received
a donation of two bait vehicles from Westfield Insurance. These vehicles will
be used in various communities experiencing vehicle theft to catch car thieves
– in the act.
“We know, if individuals are involved in
car thefts, they are also involved in other crimes as well,” said Colonel Paul
A. Pride, Patrol Superintendent. “By stopping car thieves we can deter criminal
activity before it reaches our communities.”
Troopers collaborate with local law
enforcement agencies to place the bait vehicles in high theft areas. The
vehicles are monitored until a car thief takes the bait.
According to the National Insurance Crime
Bureau (NICB), over 22,000 vehicles were stolen last year in Ohio. In 2016, the
Patrol recovered over 1,000 stolen vehicles with an estimated value of $8.5
million. The Patrol’s Vehicle Theft and Fraud unit recovered 240 of those
vehicles.
“At Westfield, we know prevention
matters,” said Mike Prandi, Westfield Insurance Operations Leader and board
chair of the National Insurance Crime Bureau. “Together with the NICB, we are
proud to equip law enforcement with resources to combat insurance fraud and
crime. If donating bait cars helps prevent future crime and keep communities
safer, we’re all in.”
The Ohio State Highway Patrol and
Westfield Insurance are proud to partner in a way that addresses the betterment
of our communities. These vehicles will now be used as a tool that makes a
tangible impact on crime and improve the quality of life in Ohio.
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