Motor City Cars Target Of Pricey Rim And Wheel Thefts

OAKLAND COUNTY (CBS DETROIT) - It's a troublesome new trend, according to Oakland Sheriff Mike Bouchard. Thieves have been making off with tires that cost in excess of a thousand dollars a wheel.

Many people are opting for the expensive wheels which run from $1,000 - $2,000 each reports WWJ's Sandra McNeill.

"I think it's today's catalytic converter - we used to have a big rush of that and they were real valuable and they were highly fence-able and for a while there was the airbag - so this seems to be the new trend," said Bouchard.

The wheels are so expensive they have their own keys, "and unfortunately, a lot of people leave those lock keys in the glove box - so typically what happens is they smash out a window - pop the glove box - grab that lug key - unlock and steal the wheels," he said.

Bouchard says that in one case alone at a car dealership last month, thieves made off with $42,000 in wheels in one night - in addition to the costly damage caused by the smashed windows. Bouchard is trying to convince dealers to install surveillance cameras to catch the culprits.

"They may come in with a trailer and it's one of those quick jack-ups - they may even have the portable charge tool - that can take the wheels right off," he explained.

Bouchard says the number of thefts over the past year easily numbering in the dozens in the tri-county area.