‘Drive it like you Stole it’

Abstract

In line with recent interest in the criminal decision-making process, researchers have begun exploringthe risks and rewards that offenders attach to specific forms of crime and how these perceptionsguide their behaviour. In this paper, we examine the strategies that auto thieves use to avoid policedetection while driving a stolen vehicle. To do this, we rely on semi-structured interviews with 54auto thieves. Results indicate that auto thieves manage encounters with police by creating an illu-sion of normalcy. Auto thieves make decisions throughout the crime-commission process that allowsthem to present an image of a normal driver in a normal vehicle to deflect attention away fromthemselves and the stolen vehicle. These strategies allow them to hide in the open and still maintainthe crime’s rewards. Discussion focuses on restrictive deterrence and wider implications for arrestavoidance in decision-making research.