SAN FERNANDO VALLEY : Public’s Help Enlisted for Anti-Auto-Theft Program

Prompted by the large number of car thefts in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles police have relaunched on a wider scale an anti-auto-theft program that failed three years ago in Van Nuys for lack of public participation.

Under the program, Valley motorists can place a small yellow decal on the back window of their car as a signal to police that the owner agrees to allow officers to stop and question the driver if the car is being driven between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., when police say most car thefts occur.

The program is based on the theory that during those hours, when the driver is more likely to be a thief than to be the car’s owner, the sticker gives officers probable cause to stop the auto, which they otherwise could not do. In 1989, after witnessing its success in New York, Los Angeles police tried to launch such a program. But only 58 residents signed up.