A chase of over six kilometers along the streets of the center of Palermo which finally rewarded the state police patrol, which managed to stand up to the dangerous maneuvers of a car thief who had fled, using the car itself. stolen. From the stadium to the Admiral’s Bridge, trying to follow access bans and other unsuccessful expedients to try to cover their tracks. The phenomenon, however, is very widespread in the city. Citizens are exasperated and there are also social groups to report and ask for help.
The data
«This is a difficult problem to dismantle – declares Giovanni Assenzio, provincial secretary of Uil police Palermo -. The theft lasts just a few minutes, under the cover of “poles” positioned at strategic points. The data, processed by the Municipality of Palermo and the National Statistical System, confirm the forecasts already expressed by the Uil police on an increase in such crimes in the city, especially after the pandemic”. The latest findings, relating to 2023, highlight, for the previous year, the maximum peak of car thefts in the Sicilian capital starting from 2012. In fact, in 2022, 4,678 cars were stolen in Palermo, i.e. 61% more than 2021. The latter year already recorded an increase of 20.4% compared to 2020.
The Covid period
According to the Uil police, this increase can only be linked to the particularly low numbers during the lockdown period and the management of the epidemic more generally. It is also true, however, that the trend before Covid appeared to be decreasing since at least 2014 and only after the epidemic was a peak recorded that has not been compared for at least ten years. It must be said that Palermo is not among the top cities for the number of crimes, but taken individually, car theft presents a very different situation. In fact, in 2022 in the Sicilian capital there were 739.3 car thefts per 100,000 inhabitants. This is more than ten cars stolen per day. Palermo reflects the particularly low national percentage relating to the identification of those responsible.
The advices
The Uil police provides some advice to citizens on how to make their car safer. The thief, in fact, is in a great hurry, both to open the car and to deactivate the detection and audible anti-theft systems. In addition to the various electronic and GPS devices, it is therefore a good idea to provide yourself with a mechanical locking system, both for the steering and the pedals, and also evaluate this in the case of the tyres. When using the smart key, it is also good practice to check that the car is actually locked: the thief, in fact, can notice the operation, for example lurking in a large car park, and disturb the signal with a special electronic device. Never leave the car parked in the same place for several days, it can be interpreted as a sign of the owner’s absence and, if necessary, also draw attention to the house. Never leave your keys with unauthorized car parkers, even if they are apparently reliable due to long-term attendance. A key can be duplicated in a few minutes and by learning the owner’s habits or looking at the car documents left in the car it is possible to make it disappear.
The “returning horse”
Uil then recommends indelibly superimposing a unique code on all the windows of the car. As is known, the cars most subject to theft are represented by a not very large group of small cars. The reason can be found in the difficulty of finding spare parts and the high costs of the latter. The increases, however, were accentuated following the war in Ukraine and the recent events in the Red Sea which affect the times and costs of supplies. However, SUV thefts are always frequent. All types, then, can become the subject of the so-called “return horse” phenomenon, i.e. the return of the stolen vehicle upon payment of a sum of money. Uil recommends asking the police for assistance. There are many cases that have been resolved with the arrest of the thief without, obviously, a single cent being paid. By accepting blackmail, however, you only strengthen the phenomenon.
«With continuous frequency – concludes Assenzio – the police track down stolen cars, but surveillance on all the streets of Palermo is impossible, considering the lack of staff and the numerous tasks that must be carried out daily». Among the not at all uncommon cases are those of the discovery of the stolen car in areas adjacent to those of the theft. Sometimes they are more or less tampered with or even totally deprived of all the removable pieces but there is no shortage of cases in which they are abandoned intact. Just enough time for a “walk” perhaps aimed at committing another crime.
