Kudos goes out to the Salem Police Department

Statesman Journal
Car theft finally becoming an issue.

Jeffrey Allan Hamilton opens the car door, slides behind the wheel and starts the ignition.
He's driving casually in the car he just stole, checking in his mirrors with no idea that his every move is being recorded by a hidden camera.
Then, surprise showing on his face, he notices a Salem patrol car.
Hamilton quickly parks, saying to himself "How do they know it was stolen?"
They knew it was stolen because the car belongs to the Salem Police Department
It's one of a handful of bait vehicles that police say they are using in areas with high car-theft rates. Police want to deter car thieves as well as put repeat offenders in jail.

Just like an episode of cops, a hidden camera in the vehicle shows dispatch of the faces of anyone in the car and records everything that happens. A global positioning device also tells police where the car is at all times.

So far, they have had 15 people enter one of the vehicles in their small fleet of bait cars, including one arrest in September 5, three of the bait carcases have ended with convictions.

"I don't think it qualifies as entrapment," Salem Attorney Mark Obert said, "because they're not going out of their way to encourage somebody to do something they're not normally going to do."

In Hamilton's case, he saw the patrol car, but officers did not spot him until he was out of the car and gone. Hamilton, now 25, returned to the car 6 1/2 hours later install it again, police said.

This time he was caught and convicted.


I think this is wonderful with all the stolen vehicles that Salem has finally decided to do something positive about it.

It seems like the only news that you hear about the Eugene police lately to help reduce crime is they're sting on prostitution. (Yawn)

I have never heard of a John or a prostitute breaking into somebody's house to make money for their trade. Unfortunately, car theft especially in the Eugene/Springfield area is very high and it is not uncommon at least in my neighborhood to find a stolen vehicle with its windows busted out every other week.

Therefore, in my book, kudos goes out to the Salem Police Department.