Your car has been stolen. What you should do and what the police are doing to find it

SAN ANTONIO – It is probably the most unpleasant surprise when you go to your parking space and find that your car is missing.

According to statistics from the San Antonio Police Department, this scenario became a reality for more than 19,000 people in the city within a year.

MAP: In San Antonio, 19,000 cars were reported stolen in 12 months. See where in the searchable database.

KSAT 12 News obtained data from SAPD showing that 18,784 vehicles were reported stolen between May 1, 2023 and May 1, 2024.

“I looked and my truck was gone,” Jocsan Valdez recently told KSAT 12 News. “I don’t know. I was just shocked.”

Valdez had parked his black 2021 GMC Sierra Denali pickup truck in its usual spot at his Medical Center apartment complex.

Although he said he had locked the doors and pointed surveillance cameras at the truck, the thieves managed to drive away with the vehicle.

Although he took the important first step and immediately reported the theft to the police, he still fears that his truck may be lost forever.

According to SAPD data, the odds that he is right are 50:50. The data shows that about half of the vehicles reported stolen were never recovered.

“Unfortunately, we do not have the ability to search each vehicle individually,” said an undercover investigator from the SAPD’s vehicle crime division.

While her team is researching new ways to reduce the number of stolen cars, they are also using technology to track down stolen vehicles.

The detective said when a car is reported stolen, the information is uploaded to a nationwide database.

Patrol officers are helping with the search by using special license plate readers in their cars. The devices in their cars can scan the license plates of passing vehicles in a matter of seconds.

When the license plate readers detect a vehicle reported as stolen, they emit a loud signal.

“You hear a strange noise,” said Officer Eddie Chavez of SAPD. “It sounds like a video game ringing.”

Chavez said he has been able to detect at least four stolen vehicles in the approximately four months since the device was installed in his patrol car.

In these cases, the police may be able to recover the evidence.

However, they say vehicle owners can increase the chances of success by providing as much information as possible about the stolen car.

“If there are potentially GPS trackers in your vehicle, that information is useful to us,” said the undercover agent.

Their goal is to solve car thefts, they say, and all car owners should take care of prevention.

According to police, parking in a place with heavy pedestrian traffic, locking car doors and using a steering wheel lock can help deter thieves.