PALMER PARK, Md. — On average, it’s happened once a day every day for the last six months in Prince George’s County.
People are breaking into parked cars and stealing handicapped-accessible parking placards that hang from rear view mirrors.
Prince George’s County police say 192 placards have been reported stolen since July, and in 70 percent of those cases, the thief or thieves smashed car windows to get what they wanted
Speaking at police headquarters on Thursday, Police Chief Hank Stawinski said these crimes offend the dignity of the community.
“Please be cognizant of this issue that disproportionately impact a portion of our community already facing challenges; those with disabilities. But it’s also costing our community tens of thousands of dollars,” he said.
Police recently arrested a man who had eleven stolen placards. Preliminarily, investigators think 23-year-old Darius Tyson had been targeting parked cars in Temple Hills, including some at a senior living center.
The placards don’t cost anything to obtain legally, but police think stolen ones are being sold for $25 to $100 each.
The good news is, each one has an identifying number that can help officers crack down on the problem.
“They’re going to be checking these numbers to ensure that that placard is legally possessed, and in the proper place,” said Stawinski.
Police will be peeking into cars parked in handicapped-accessible spaces to do these checks.
Another aspect of the crackdown involves working with the owners of apartment complexes.
The goal is to get complex owners to hand out windshield stickers to people who use the placards, so that the placards can be taken inside during overnight hours when thieves are likely to strike.
Stawinski said they are starting that effort in the 5th District, which is in the southernmost part of the county, and they plan to eventually expand it to other areas.
