Word: windowful
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...southeast of Los Angeles, offers a glimpse of the paranoia that is fast turning homes into fortresses. His two-story frame house is outfitted with motion-sensitive floodlights, video monitors, infrared alarms and a % spiked fence topped with razor wire. A metal cage surrounds the patio. Bars adorn every window. A Doberman pinscher guards the yard. And a security guard patrols the driveway. "The wrong people are behind bars," says Anne Seymour of the National Victim Center. "People are putting themselves behind bars because we as a nation have failed to put the right people behind bars...
...accounts, Wills was a hands-on executive. He stole many of the cars himself in front of suburban row houses on the busy streets of North Philadelphia. Wills would pry a side window loose with a screwdriver, pull the glass back with his bare hands, unlock the door and slither inside. Next, he used the screwdriver to break the steering column and turn on the ignition. Popular antitheft devices like The Club, which locks a steering wheel in place, never deterred him. Most thieves spray The Club with Freon and crack it with a hammer. Wills would snip...
While driving his quarry to the chop shop, Wills kept a red plaid scarf -- his trademark -- wrapped tightly around the steering column to hide the damage and avoid suspicion. He used the same red material to block the warehouse's windows and keep out prying eyes. A stern taskmaster, he forbade drug use by employees and demanded that they keep the garage immaculate. Oil spills were mopped instantly, while car parts were piled like groceries -- in perfect stacks. Ever wily, he split his operation into distinct divisions: thieves and choppers. No one but Wills knew the complete workings...
Carjackings are not the only car crimes that have exploded over the past few years. What police call smash-and-grabs are also considered easy, risk-free crimes. A swing of a baseball bat probably won't shatter a car window, but the impact of a porcelain spark plug will. "People are shocked, because they don't see a weapon. These guys don't have to use a bat. Some even carry the porcelain piece around in their mouths," says Miami's Sergeant Camil. "There you are, daydreaming about dinner. You're not expecting a brick or a spark plug...
...lane next to the curb. Don't leave the car running when you dash into the convenience store. Lock the doors. Keep purses and wallets out of view. "No. 1, be aware," says the FBI's Apple. "In this day and age, it's not safe to unroll your window -- even to give people money at Christmas...