DECAL PROGRAM TO FIGHT AUTO THEFTS

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Wednesday, March 25, 1992

The Record (New Jersey) | 5 Star | SOUTH CENTRAL BERGEN YOUR TOWN RECORD |
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Police are asking residents to help them fight auto theft by registering their cars with the department and authorizing police to stop and search the cars if they see them on the road during the middle of the night.

Participants in the Combat Auto Theft program, which is voluntary and free, sign a consent form saying they do not drive their cars between 1 and 5 a.m., and that they authorize any law enforcement officer to stop and check if it is seen on the road during those hours, said Lt. Paul Romaine.

Residents receive a reflective yellow sticker bearing the letters CAT that they put in the rear, left-side car window.

Police have to have probable cause to stop a car and search it, Romaine said. The sticker is numbered and has information on the car’s owner.

The program is part of a statewide attempt to combat auto theft, Romaine said. “It’s a good program,” he said. “It protects the car owner.”

Interested residents have to register in person at the city’s police headquarters at 205 State St. between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. They must provide a valid New Jersey driver’s license and registration for the car. Participants can withdraw from the program at any time by writing the department and removing the sticker from their car windows.

For additional information call Romaine in the Hackensack Police Crime Prevention Bureau at 646-7725 or 646-7726.

Caption: PHOTO of Hackensack Police auto theft decal.

ID: 17372396 | Copyright © 1992, The Record (New Jersey)