Just when you think petty criminals can’t get any more annoying, a string of strange burglaries has residents of Aurora, CO keeping an eye on their license plates and DMV registration stickers.
Thieves Taking on Aurora Residents’ Colorado License Plates
Kori Smith of Aurora, CO walked out to her vehicle one morning to find that a corner piece of her Colorado license plates had been removed. Since it’s difficult to peel the actual sticker off, thieves just take the entire corner of the license plate. Smith had recently had her vehicle and license tags renewed, and that may have been the appeal for the petty license plate thieves. Thieves steal new registration stickers to sell them on the black market or to put them on unregistered vehicles. Some Aurora residents are feeling the frustration, as Smith put it, “I was supposed to get up, take them to school this morning and we didn’t get to do anything.”
What’s the appeal of new registration stickers? Criminals can avoid the taxes and other fees it takes to register a vehicle and are less likely to get pulled over when their vehicle is displaying a fresh registration sticker. Thieves can also sell these registration stickers to whoever wants to avoid vehicle registration fees and taxes.
The reports of missing registration stickers have been reported by at least one other resident near Chambers Road and Iliff Avenue in Aurora.
What to Do to Avoid Registration Sticker Theft
Petty crimes are typically crimes of opportunity so by removing the opportunity, you are greatly decreasing your odds of being a victim. If you’re worried about your own vehicle’s registration sticker you can purchase a clear plastic plate cover to deter thieves. If a thief finds that they must work to get your registration, they will likely move on and leave your vehicle alone.
State law does require that any plate covers be completely transparent and that any numbers or letters on your plate are visible always, so avoid another type of a headache by being certain your plates are discernable if a plastic shield covers them.
