Car tyre thefts cause grey hair to car owners, particularly during the tyre change season. Around 550–800 cases of tyre theft are reported to the Finnish police annually.
”From the beginning of 2017, we have received around 40 reports of tyre thefts. Although this is not a large number compared to the total number of property crimes, it is a regular phenomenon. As the tyre changing season is approaching, the figures are on the rise again,” says Chief Superintendent Jyrki Aho of the National Police Board.
Many tyre owners have not even noticed yet that their tyres have been stolen. When they go to their tyre storage space, they face the grim truth – they are gone!
Tyres stolen from basements and other storage spaces
In most tyre theft cases reported in 2017, the tyres had been stolen from their storage location, i.e. a basement or other storage area. In some cases, tyres had been stolen directly from the car so that the car owner found the vehicle on bricks or other supports.
“Tyre thieves are often shameless: they carry tyres out from a car or tyre shop in broad daylight like fake employees. Many of these cases have been verified from surveillance cameras afterwards, but getting the stolen tyres back is challenging because they have already been sold on.
Aho reminds that tyres waiting to be transferred should not be left readily available in shops or in one's own yard. Also cross-border mobile criminals are interested in large numbers of tyres.
Similarly to any valuable property, it is advisable to take photos of your tyres and rims since you will need information of their make, model and size when reporting a theft to the police and filing a claim with your insurer. A photo will help you to remember these details and enable identification of the stolen items during the investigation.
Do not buy stolen goods
Aho reminds buyers to take certain precautions before concluding a purchase.
“Do not buy hot items. Check the origin of the goods from the seller as well as the seller's identity. An honest seller should not mind if you require a written contract of sale specifying the details of the seller and the document from which his or her identity was verified. If you make the payment into the seller’s bank account, this will help any investigations should they be necessary.
Aho reminds that most thefts would not occur at all if the offenders were unable to sell the items forward. Buying stolen goods is a bad idea since any items identified as stolen will be confiscated from the new owner. The buyer may also become a crime suspect if the details of the transaction so indicate.
