Wednesday, January 26, 2000
Series of ATV thefts targeted
Police meet to exchange information
BY TOM O'NEILL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
BATAVIA — A few weeks after selling a customer an all-terrain vehicle, Honda sales manager John Sievering saw the man again. He wanted another ATV.
Mr. Sievering, whose Honda Motorcycles-Western Hills sells about 30 to 40 a month, wasn't surprised. ATVs, or quadrunners, have become increasingly popular for thrill-seeking youths and for farmers who see them as more efficient than tractors for small farm jobs.
But this was different.
The man wanted another ATV because his new one had just been stolen. “Stole it right out of his yard,” Mr. Sievering said Tuesday. The customer/victim was not alone.
An increasing number of thefts of ATVs, from inner-city Cincinnati to rural Adams and Fayette counties, prompted a meeting Tuesday morning at the Clermont County Sheriff's Department.
There, about 30 law enforcement officers and ATV vendors exchanged informa tion and expressed hope that, collectively, they can break a rash of ATV thefts that began more than a year ago.
In the past few months alone, Clermont Sheriff A.J. “Tim” Rodenberg's office has investigated 24 reports of ATV theft. His counterpart in Adams County has 48 such open investigations.
The thefts have occurred primarily at night. Many were taken from yards and unlocked garages. Others were chained and locked inside.
ATVs, or quadrunners, are relatively easy to steal, Sheriff Rodenberg explained, because they are light enough to be hauled into a pickup or the back of a van, without the thief having to jimmy the ignition at the scene.
Mr. Sievering said adult-sized ATVs typically cost $3,500 to $6,500. “Very few buy chains and locks because the theft factor isn't a thought in their mind,” he added.
He and Sheriff Rodenberg say thefts won't be deterred — but might be easier to solve, thanks to a new law requiring that ATVs be registered with a title through the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the way motorcycles and cars are.
It went into effect in July and should make it more difficult for a thief to resell a stolen ATV. Sheriff Rodenberg said people should alert authorities if they are offered an ATV for sale with signs that the serial number or ignition switch have been tampered with.
Those selling ATVs in their yards are urged not to leave them unattended.
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