Violent car theft drops over 50% in Chile this year

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – According to the Chilean police, car theft with intimidation and violence has decreased by 59.79% and 50.35%, respectively this year, compared to the same period in 2020, in addition to some 30,000 vehicles (50%) recovered during the year.

According to the police, these results are largely due to the investigation work conducted by the Department of Search and Seizure of Persons and Vehicles (SEBV) and also to the existing agreement this specialized unit has with the National Automotive Association of Chile (ANAC A.G), which enables the police to have precise information on all new vehicles prior to their entry into the country.

The goal of this agreement is to optimize security systems so that the trade association has a direct line to the police.

This will facilitate and accelerate cooperation in monitoring and prosecuting companies that engage in the illegal purchase and sale of vehicles and in investigating crimes related to fraudulent registration with the Civil Registry and Identification Service.

The data exchange is also essential to support the SEBV department in the prevention and fight against delinquency and organized crime related to vehicles through theft with intimidation, robberies with violence, illegal associations and even robberies involving homicide.

Additionally, the Association will implement training sessions, seminars and briefings on the latest technologies for new vehicles entering the country, which will be offered to specialized police officers, thereby enhancing their knowledge of the industry.

“This agreement comes at a very good time, because we are just restoring mobility in the city and, with it, a whole series of crimes and offenses are emerging, such as theft in ports, logistics centers and on public roads, so the identification, search and recovery is key. We have improved our computer systems, with technical and vehicle identification data, which we are very pleased to share with the Police in order to stop this type of crime,” said ANAC’s secretary general Diego Mendoza.

Likewise, the head of the Directorate of Drug Control and Criminal Investigation Álex Chaván stressed the significance of this agreement for the institution: “When there is cooperation between private enterprise and the State, in this case represented by the Chilean police, an important synergy is created. Now we are finalizing an agreement through which we will exchange very important information that will give us indications on the features of new vehicles entering the country, thereby helping the SEBV Department in better conducting its investigations.”