TENN. TO USE CARS AS BAIT:

Morristown, Tenn., authorities plan to use cars as bait to catch car thieves red-handed and to reduce the local car theft rate–insurance companies, noting that such programs have cut the theft rate by as much as 25 percent, have even begun buying bait cars for local law enforcement agencies. Det. John Carrell, who is assigned to auto theft investigations in Cocke County, told the Citizen Tribune there are two approaches to apprehending car thieves. One involves hot-wiring the ignition of a car so that when it is driven away, police equipped with a remote control device can shut off the motor and lock the vehicle’s doors. Police then move in and arrest the thief. The second approach involves installing a global positioning system (GPS) device. With GPS a stolen vehicle can be tracked, possibly to a chop-shop.