FORT SMITH, Ark – More than 150 motor vehicle thefts have been reported in Fort Smith since Sept. 1. There were also at least 90 license plates stolen this year. The Fort Smith Police Department believes the two are connected.
No distinct patterns of location, or types of cars, were detected. The same is true for license plate thefts.
Aric Mitchell, spokesperson for the Fort Smith Police Department, noted that one possible connection is that people were leaving their cars unlocked or valuables in view where thieves break into the vehicle.
Police Chief Danny Baker believes the license plates that are being stolen are being used on the stolen cars in an effort to throw police off the trail of the stolen vehicle.
At least two reports of criminal mischief offer support of this idea.