Reference no: EM133239892

Read this scenario, then answer the following questions:

Dyson's Car & Auto Repair Shop in Maryland has been under investigation for months. The owners are believed to operate a chop shop and automobile theft ring out of their business. The Dyson's then use the stolen vehicles for reselling, cloning, and parts. There are several reports of multiple vehicles being stolen at a nearby mall, chain retailer, and grocery store, which are thought to be the work of the Dyson's crew. The police are setting up a sting operation at the mall and chain retailer.

There is a lead detective of the sting operation. The lead detective has placed three unmarked vehicles with different vantage points at the mall and chain retailer. The lead detective also placed four plain-clothed, undercover officers at each location as customers. At 6 P.M., two suspicious vehicles, with a driver and passenger, have circled the parking lot at the mall, four times and then proceed slowly up and down each row, passing by several desirable parking spots. At one point, the vehicles pull up beside each other, talk for a few minutes and then resume what appears to be casing cars. The lead detective notice that the one vehicle, a 1994 Acura Integra, has two PA licenses plates that do not match. Having lived in PA, The lead detective knows that PA only requires one license plate. The lead detective run the license plate through the database.

As expected, the PA license plate comes back as stolen. The Acura is pulled over by two unmarked police patrols.

An officer approaches the stolen Acura. The officer asked the driver for their license and registration. The driver remains calm and hands over the requested documentation. The passenger seems nervous and is shifting around in their seat. The driver's license is issued from New York. The officer asked the driver the mileage of the Acura. The driver does not respond. the officer sees a piece of tape and residue on the driver's side rear window and in the back seat the officer see a pair of gloves and several bent coat hangers sticking out from under the passenger's seat. The officer asked the passenger for their driver's license or identification and ask them questions surrounding their ID.

Question 1: in the scenario above, what methods did the officer(s) use when trying to determine if the vehicles were stolen? What other characteristics would you have looked for?

Question 2: If you were one of the owners of the stolen vehicles, what are some ways you could have prevented your automobile from being stolen?