SAN ANTONIO – It may be the most unwelcome surprise to walk to where you parked your car and find out it is missing.
According to San Antonio Police Department statistics, that scenario was a reality for more than 19,000 people in the city in one year.
KSAT 12 News obtained data from SAPD that showed 18,784 vehicles were reported stolen between May 1, 2023, and May 1, 2024.
“I took a look, and my truck was not there anymore,” Jocsan Valdez told KSAT 12 News recently. “I don’t know. I was just shocked.”
Valdez had parked his 2021 black GMC Sierra Denali pickup in its usual spot at his Medical Center apartment complex.
Even though he said he locked the doors and had surveillance cameras pointed at the truck, thieves still managed to drive off with it.
Although he took the important first step of reporting the theft to police immediately, he still fears his truck may be gone for good.
Based on SAPD data, there is a 50-50 chance he is right. The data shows that about half the vehicles reported stolen have never been recovered.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have the ability to look for each vehicle on a one-on-one basis,” said one undercover detective who works with SAPD’s vehicle crimes unit.
While her team explores new ways to reduce the number of stolen cars, they also use technology to help them track down stolen vehicles.
The detective said when a car is reported stolen, its information is uploaded to a nationwide database.
Patrol officers, using special license plate readers in their cars, help in the hunt. The devices in their cars can scan the plates of passing vehicles in seconds.
The plate readers send a loud signal when they detect one listed as stolen.
“You’ll get a weird kind of (noise),” said Officer Eddie Chavez with SAPD. “It sounds like a video game kind of chime.”
Chavez said during the four months or so since the device was installed in his patrol car, he has been able to detect at least four stolen vehicles.
In these cases, police may be able to make a recovery.
However, they say vehicle owners can increase the chances for that kind of success by providing them with as much information about the stolen car as possible.
“If there’s any, maybe, GPS trackers in your vehicle, that information is useful to us,” the undercover detective said.
While solving stolen car cases is their goal, they say all car owners should be concerned about prevention.
Police said parking in a place with heavy foot traffic, locking your car doors, and using a steering wheel lock can all help make thieves change their minds.