CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. -- The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office says they're seeing more truck thefts in the county, and urge residents to register for a program that aims to reduce auto thefts.
They say that over the past several months, reported pickup truck thefts have been rising. They say Ford F-250 trucks, both locked and unlocked, are a common target for thieves.
To help combat vehicle thefts, they urge drivers who are not usually out late at night to sign up for their C.A.T. Combat Auto Theft) Program.
The CAT Program is a voluntary vehicle registration program for community residents, short term visitors and business owners. The program is designed to assist law enforcement in identifying vehicles that are not normally driven during the early morning hours.
The owner of the vehicle voluntarily registers their vehicle with the Sheriff’s Office. Once registered, they receive a CAT decal to place in the lower left hand corner of the vehicle’s rear window.
By displaying the decals, the vehicle owner gives deputies permission to do an investigative stop of the vehicle between the hours of 1:00 am and 5:00 am for personal vehicles and 8:00 pm and 5:00 am for business vehicles, to determine if the vehicle has been stolen.
For additional information on the program or to register your vehicles, simply contact their Crime Prevention Unit at 941-639-2101 or bring your vehicle registration documents to any of their District Offices.
