WHITE COUNTY, Ark. — The White County Sheriff's Department has been emphasizing car thefts and their recoveries. Just this year, one detective has reclaimed 59 stolen vehicles.
"I take it personal," Detective Kenneth Booth with the department said. "If I'm trying to help someone and I can't get any leads, or I'm having a hard time, it'll keep me awake at night. I really get into it."
Booth will tell you, though, it's a whole department effort.
When you hear how people are stealing cars— whether they're stolen in White County or brought through— you'll understand why there's a push to find these cars.
"A lot of the ghost vehicles that are coming into the state are stolen with a homemade title out of another state," Booth said, as he showed one of those titles.
Ghost vehicles are ones that have had their VIN numbers swapped for one that belongs to another car. In some cases, those numbers come from across borders.
"A large number of vehicles coming in are from Canada," he explained.
Booth said he's seen thieves use a VIN number from Canada after they get an Arkansas title, to throw law enforcement off. However, he also said there are always ways to spot a fake.
"A lot of times you'll see a misspelling, or a different color in the background," Booth described.
Once they know a car is stolen, tracking it is something they've gotten good at. Technology helps them pinpoint possible locations or directions that thieves may be moving toward.
One system he showed us can display specific cars.
"In this case, right now we're looking at 1800 cameras," he said. "So I can narrow it down, but it's going to show every white Silverado or Chevy pickup."
It's a racket that Booth explained thieves know— but there are simple, easy ways to keep your car safe.
He recommends you lock your doors and take out your valuables.
"One thing I would recommend for people, you've got a $90,000 car, put a tracker on it," Booth said. "That tracker costs $13 a month, but they're so sensitive, someone opens the door at night, it's gonna send you an alert."