Metro Detroit has a 'growing' problem with car thefts from dealerships, plants – and often times teens are responsible

(WWJ) — Police agencies across Metro Detroit have been working to crack down on an uptick in car thefts from dealerships and auto plants.

Earlier this week in Warren police responded to the Warren Stamping Plant, where a group of suspects — believed to be 10 juveniles — smashed through a fence and stole 10 Jeep Wagoneers.

Earlier this month the Macomb Auto Theft Squad investigated a series of dealership thefts that culminated in a 14-year-old crashing a stolen car in Detroit.

Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham told WWJ’s Dan Jenkins the problem of car thefts across Metro Detroit “just seems to be growing,” and police are often finding juvenile suspects are responsible.

“Some of these we would say, ‘hey, they’re stealing the car and chopping it up for parts or selling it as a stolen car.’ But we’re seeing with these juveniles that it just appears sometimes it’s just something to do and see if they can get away with it,” Wickersham said.

In one case last year in Washington Township, Wickersham said the suspects stole cars from a lot and waited for deputies to arrive.

“And then the chase was on,” he said, noting that many of these situations get too dangerous so police are forced to call off the chases “because we don’t want to endanger the public.”

“Those are tough decisions, there’s a lot of factors that go into it. But it’s a piece of property that’ll probably be recovered; we don’t want to see innocent people get killed,” Wickersham said.

As most dealerships across the area are aware of the uptick in car thefts, Wickersham says a lot of them are adding additional security. Police, meanwhile, are “trying to do more proactive policing with the road patrols and high visibility with cars driving through the lots.”

He noted many dealerships are working on key control, making sure keys aren’t readily available for thieves.

“There’s a lot going on. We’re doing our best to try and curb it, but it just seems to continue to grow,” Wickersham said.