Car thefts are down 65% since the present closure was imposed.
Ben-Shaul: if the war against thefts gets results, we will reduce the
premium.
A 65% decrease in car thefts has been recorded since the total
closure of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip was imposed. An internal
police memo, reaching Globes, determines that during March 1 - 9, only
355 motor vehicles were stolen in the whole of Israel, the lowest number
in years. This means an average of 40 vehicles daily, as compared with
110 vehicles in previous months.
It was moreover reported that the number of car thefts in February
stood at 3,003, a 12% decrease compared with January. The whole
decrease is ascribable to the second half of the month, in which 1,'9
vehicles were stolen, 27% less than in January. This was due to the
total closure imposed on February 25, after the first terror attack in
Jerusalem.
At the same time, the government decided yesterday (Sunday) to
require insurance companies to allocate NIS 100 million for financing
activity to combat motor vehicle thefts. The chairman of the Insurance
Companies Association today rejected the government's demand. He
stated that the companies would propose financing the budget by means of
a levy of NIS 60 - 65 per annum, on every vehicle owner, as part of his
obligatory insurance.