They are everywhere.
In America alone, one million vehicles are taken each year. Portland has seen 10,000 stolen cars in just the past year. Some citizens are now doing their part and stealing cars. But authorities inform Inside Edition that it comes with its risks.
Around 12,000 Portlanders are fed up with car theft and have started their own patrol to find stolen cars and return them to their owners.
Many local residents have reported suspicious sightings of vehicles to PDX Stolen Cars (a group on Facebook created by Titan Crawford).
“A lot of the people who are a part of this group are victims themselves and that’s why they take it so seriously,” He tells Inside Edition.
Over 1,400 cars were recovered by those who have been associated with the group in the past year.
Inside Edition saw him show how the group uses an online database to run vehicle identification numbers in order for them to check if they are stolen.
“This is a confirmed stolen, Nov. 1 out of Vancouver, Washington,” He tells Inside Edition’s chief investigative reporter Lisa Guerrero that Crawford was on one of the patrols.
While they waited for the police to arrive, Nicole Heath, a citizen-sleuth found two vehicles that had been stolen from an apartment block in another part of town.
Officer Adam Baker congratulates citizens who are sleuths. But, he also warns them.
“Citizens who are out looking for stolen cars are not prepared for the confrontations that come along with it,” He tells Inside Edition.
It seems that those who are dedicated to this cause won’t stop until the problem is solved.
A woman who had her car stolen back claims the effort they put in is well worth it.
“You guys really are a citizens army going out to help each other,” Guerrero tells her.
“You have to be,” She replies. “I got it back, I beat the system.”