Auto Theft Detail And T.R.A.P
In our society, vehicles are an important part of our daily lives. When a vehicle is stolen, it is usually an expensive loss that disrupts our routines. The goal of the Long Beach Police Department is the reduction and prevention of vehicle thefts, to assist with the recovery of stolen vehicles, and the prosecution of those who steal vehicles.
- Reporting Auto Theft
- Checking Your Auto Theft Case Status
- Rental Car Thefts and Embezzlement
- Failure to Return a Borrowed Car
- Laws Pertaining to Auto Theft
- Task Force for Reginal Auto Theft Prevention (T.R.A.P.)
REPORTING AUTO THEFT
The Long Beach Police Department requires all stolen vehicle reports be signed by the victim/reporting person. To have an officer dispatched to your location, please call:
Long Beach Police non-emergency (562) 435-6711
You can also report your vehicle stolen at one of our front desk locations. Please call ahead to ensure there is appropriate staffing to take your report. The South Division front desk at 400 W. Broadway is staffed 24/7.
Long Beach Police business desks:
East Division (562) 570-5881
North Division (562) 570-9800
South Division (562) 570-7260
West Division (562) 570-3400
Has your stolen car been recovered? Auto Records personnel will notify the registered owner by phone and mail when a stolen car is recovered. If you are checking to see if your car has been recovered and you have not been notified, call Auto Records at (562) 570-7475.
CHECKING YOUR AUTO THEFT CASE STATUS
Unfortunately, the number of cases a detective investigates prevents them from routinely contacting each victim. A detective will contact you for information when needed. If you believe you have information which would be valuable to the investigation, you may call the Auto Theft Detail at (562) 570-7362 to leave a message or ask to speak to the detective handling your case.
RENTAL CAR THEFTS AND EMBEZZLEMENT
Whenever any person who has leased or rented a vehicle willfully and intentionally fails to return the vehicle to its owner within five days after the lease or rental agreement has expired, that person shall be presumed to have embezzled the vehicle.
To assist with the investigation and successful prosecution of an embezzled vehicle, the detective will require the following information and documents:
- A legible copy of the original SIGNED rental contract that includes the renter's full name, address, telephone number, driver’s license number and state, rental and scheduled return dates, the total amount paid at the time of rental, and form of payment.
- Any additional payments, specifically noting the date of the last payment.
- A legible copy of the demand letter requiring the exact location of the vehicle be disclosed.
- A copy of the returned, sealed, certified envelope or signed receipt of delivery.
- Renting agent's name, home address, SSN or driver’s license and state, date of birth, and home and work phone numbers.
- Written documentation indicating what steps your company has taken to recover the vehicle. Include each involved employee's name, home address, SSN or driver’s license and state, date of birth, and home and work phone numbers.
- Any extensions to the original contract, whether made verbally or in writing. All documentation must include the date the extension was requested and/or granted, the date the vehicle was to be returned, the person requesting the extension, the person granting the extension, and the reason given for the extension (if any). Document all conversations with the suspect. Do not make any offers to extend the contract if additional fees are paid.
- All payments applied to the contract and indicate whether the payment was in cash, credit or debit card, electronic transfer, or check.
- After all the above documents and information are obtained, they can be emailed to LBPDAutoTheft@longbeach.gov for review, or call (562) 570-7362 to schedule an "in-person" report.
FAILURE TO RETURN A BORROWED CAR
If you have loaned your vehicle to another person to drive and this person does not return the vehicle, certain documentation is required to report the car stolen. Since the vehicle is being operated with permission of the owner, this permission needs to be rescinded. Send a letter to the person via Registered Mail-Return Receipt. The language of the letter must include:
"Your permission to operate this vehicle is rescinded. You are to stop operating the vehicle immediately. Park the vehicle legally and notify me of the location, so I may recover it. If you fail to comply with these instructions, I will report the vehicle as stolen." (Any language that instructs the borrower to return the vehicle implies further permission to operate the vehicle.) The letter must also include a description of the vehicle, including the year, make, model, color, license plate number, and VIN.
Keep a copy of the letter and post office documents needed to send it. After the letter has been mailed, you will either receive proof of delivery or the letter will be returned by the post office as unclaimed.
If you are not successful in getting your vehicle back, call (562) 570-7362 to make an appointment with a detective to report the vehicle stolen. These reports will not be taken over the phone. You will be required to appear in person and sign the theft report. You must also be willing to press charges and testify in court against the person to whom you loaned the vehicle.
Make copies of all documentation. The handling detective may keep the originals to file the case.
LAWS PERTAINING TO AUTO THEFT
- 10851(a) CVC, Auto Theft
- 487(d)(1) PC, Grand Theft
- 496d PC, Possession of Stolen Property
- Section 2312 USC National Motor Vehicle Theft Act, Title 8
- 10502 CVC, Report to CHP
- 10852 CVC, Tampering with a Vehicle
- 466 PC, Burglary Tools
- 459 PC, Burglary
- 10501(a) CVC, False Reports
- 148.5 PC, False Reports
- 550 a-4 PC, Insurance Fraud
- 10750 CVC, Altering Numbers
- 10751 CVC, Buying, Receiving or Possession with Altered numbers
- 28 CVC, Notification to Police of Repossession
- 2805 CVC, Inspection of Registration
- 4461-4462 CVC, Registration
- 4463 CVC, False License Plates - Felony
- 450A PC, Arson
- 548 PC, Arson
- 10855 CVC, Embezzled Vehicle
TASK FORCE FOR REGIONAL AUTO THEFT PREVENTION (T.R.A.P.)
T.R.A.P. is Los Angeles County's regional, multi-jurisdictional, multi-agency task force that investigates, prosecutes and deters vehicle theft and vehicle fraud on a coordinated and cooperative basis. It is authorized by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and is administered through the Countywide Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee with cooperation from the Los Angeles County Chiefs of Police. T.R.A.P. informs the public about common auto theft schemes and recent investigations. T.R.A.P. has been highly successful in combating vehicle theft and vehicle fraud by focusing on organized rings and illegal business operations.
