Flat Faw

Car thieves' top target now the sporty Impreza Oct 26 2004




By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A TEAM of thieves are targeting a prestigious kind of sporty car in Huddersfield.

The thieves have been stealing headlights, fog lamps, radiator grilles and even bonnets from Subaru Impreza cars across the area.

They are also bypassing the cars' in-built security systems to carry out the crimes late at night.

Det Con Jim Carter, of Huddersfield police, said: "There have been 16 thefts in Huddersfield over the last nine months, with the thieves targeting T to Y-registered Imprezas.

"This is not happening in other parts of West Yorkshire, which leads us to believe the thieves are based in Huddersfield."

Det Con Carter has now urged Impreza owners to be extra-vigilant and think about adding extra crime- prevention gadgets to their cars.

He added: "If anyone in the motor trade or members of the public know where these parts are going, we would be very interested in hearing from them."

A spokesman for Subaru dealers R N Golden, based on Wakefield Road, Grange Moor, said his theory was that the thieves may be targeting the equipment to fix to their own cars.

"They may have older Subarus and are stealing the front bits from newer models to save themselves a lot of money," he said.

"It could be they have damaged their own cars, and so are stealing from others to save the cost of repairs."

The spokesman said one man had been targeted twice and the cost to replace headlights, side lights, fog lamps and colour-co-ordinated grilles can be as high as £900.

Anyone with information should phone Det Con Carter on 01484 436716.

Husaberk

It's not just Huddersfield, my MY00 got done over the same way two months ago in Garforth(East of Leeds for those who don't know). Definitely a pro job, there wasn't a mark on the car. Only good thing about it was one of my fog lights was cracked and my excess was about the same as a new one would've cost.

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

and myself.... Wortley, Leeds.

and it's notthing to do with people repairing damage it's low lifes who have an older impreza looking to update their front ends to the facelift model. An SN memeber would be able to tell them that!

16 cases in Huddesfield. Why not get the address of the early Imprezas in the area and go check them out. shoulf throw up a few leads but I think that would be far too much like hard work for Police.

akshay67

I think it's also people in saxos and novas who want the 'impreza' look - i have seen a couple of them around west london with bonnet scoops that are not a matching colour - very sus.

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

The fact it's 97+ and the whole front end suggests it's Impreza owners updating their pre 97 cars.... or at least a group selling these parts to owners who are updating their cars.

Actually thinking about it have the Beastie Boys started a new craze using Impreza parts on chains?

DR Motorsport

It was a common problem a few years ago with Cibie and PIAA driving lamps being stolen along with clear indicators.

This just takes things to another level with headlamps and bonnets also going.

But these gangs are probably just armed with a few sockets - that's all thats needed to strip the front end down.

So why not get a selection of different bolts fixings and replace the standard bolts with different items - torx / allen key / or even security snap off bolts. And cable tie the grill on.

When I had PIAA's on my classic Impreza a few years back, I had 3 different fixings for the 3 bolts that would have held them on.

Screwfix Direct anyone?


David

scooby nutter

Id rather have them nick my grill ,spots etc than keying or smashing up the car just because it had different screws/fixings that they couldnt undo.!!

robby

Driving in Bradford there's a lot of Corollas, etc with Impreza front bumpers/ fogs/ scoops
I wouldn't have thought the theives would nick off their own doorstep in case they were recognised which would suggest they're travelling from outside Hudds?

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

Bradford is a dump and a hive for Scooby theft! Also was notorious a year or so back for car jacking! The number of 'Kev'ed' up scoobs in bradford is amazing!

Flat Faw

If you consider that in the Huddersfield postcode area alone, their are just over 100 Impreza's of the face lifted classic variety (sport and turbo), there will be a hell of a lot of pre face lift examples located not just in Huddersfield, but also surrounding towns and city's (Oldham, Leeds, Wakefield, Bradford etc). Add to that fact that of the earlier Impreza's we are talking about being in the hands of the low life scum (particularly in Bradford as mentioned above) wanting to modernise their cars, very few will be actually traceable by the police as log books are very rarely sent off to the DVLA and very, very few are insured. You soon begin to realise that while your suggestion is in principal perfectly sound, in practice an already strectched police force whose resources for tackling car crime are already spread very thin, simply cannot even begin to consider undertaking such a task. I can assure you it is not a case of it being "too much like hard work".

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

Great, so the people who do it just get away with it while people who work hard for their pride and joy suffer. It's the fact that the criminals know nothing will be done about it is the fact that they do it with such brazen disregard for the law. I bet they are laughing their co.cks off as they dismantle somebodys car (probably wondering how long before they replace the parts so they can come back!)

When mine was done I never expected the police to be able to do anything which just reflects on the fact that cars and car crime has no priority on the political or Police agenda. I'm sure the fact people have insurance (I wont be claiming due to a high excess which is normal on these type of cars) is one reason why this sort of crime hardly even registers when it comes to the police trying to catch the criminals responsible. Even if by some miricale the thieves where caught I have no confidence in the justice system that they would get anything other than a light slap on the wrists.

Flat Faw

I can completely sympathise with your views. Seeing your pictures was not very nice to a fellow late model classic owner and I feel gutted for you. Ever since this Impreza targetted crime first came to light, and seeing first hand the numbers increasing at an alarming rate, I have been paranoid about the same thing happening to mine.

The Police are doing all they can on a really pi$$ poor budget (that seems to get worse every year) to tackle car crime. But politics dictate where resourses are spent. It is usually Parliament that has the "agenda" as you say, not the Police. They set the sentencing guidelines, allocate resources (or not, as is usually the case!) for recruiting Police personnel.

Your lack of confidence in the justice system is understandable, and shared by Police and Public alike. Imagine how frustrating it is to work months on a case against someone who is clearly guilty, only for the CPS to throw it out on a technicality before it can even go to court. Or if does go to court and a guilty verdict is found, judges passing almost laughably weak sentences.

The publics lack of confidence then compounds the problem, as they don't bother to report a crime, therefore less intelligence is gathered and crimes become harder to solve. Its a viscious circle. The only winners are the politicians, because less crimes reported allows nice looking crime reduction figures for the Home Secretary to bandy about at election time.

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

I totally agree. Sad state of affairs. My parents house was burguled and the attending police officer said they had a good idea who it was but there was no chance of a conviction. He expressed the same views about how the courts etc deal with it and his fustration was clear to see. Something needs to be done about it and soon.

killa

iTrader: (7)

Have they been able to get into garages and also work on the new shape subs?
Also note chapeltown very dangerous area at traffic lights or even getting followed, guess they can't take it, leeds area...

Flat Faw

AKAIK this is totally specific to "phase 2" classics.

No reported instances of it happening on new shape cars. The most common crime with these models is to get the keys one way or another and take the whole car, rather than a few choice bits.

Flat Faw

If you have a classic and can't garage it overnight, the Police advise is to park it so the front end is up next to wall or other imovable object. The same idea applies to keeping all your prized alloys on your car. Park it in such a way i.e. passenger door close to a wall, so that only two wheels can be removed. A thief is very unlikely to give a car a second look if it looks problematic. There will always be an easier one just down the road for them to target.