Auto theft is a police and community problem. It is a serious community problem. Vehicle owners who have their cars stolen suffer inconvenience, expense, time loss from work and all vehicle owners pay higher insurance rates to cover the replacement of stolen vehicles.

C.A.T. Program

The Plainsboro Twp. Police Dept. has initiated the C.A.T. Program, designed to reduce the number of auto thefts. Motor vehicle owners may voluntarily register for the C.A.T. Program and ask police to place a decal on the vehicles rear window. Once the decal is adheared, police can stop the vehicle between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. to ask to see if the driver is the owner or someone authorized by the owner to be driving the vehicle. These stickers signal police that the vehicle is owned by someone unlikely to be driving between the hours of 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. and that the vehicle may have been stolen.

This program is being used in several other U.S. cities, and has shown to be very effective in reducing auto theft.

The C.A.T. program is voluntary.

How it works

Each interested vehicle owner must complete an application/consent form. The following must be provided to complete this form:

• The vehicle must be registered to the applicant.
• The owner of the vehicle must reside in Plainsboro, N.J.
• The application must be signed by one registered owner.
• The owner must sign a waiver/consent form giving the police permission to stop the vehicle between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., stating they will hold no person(s) liable for any actions that result from the vehicle being stopped, and that they understand they are responsible for removing the decals when they sell or transfer ownership of the vehicle.
• The owner will be issued a numbered decal to be placed on the rear window of the vehicle. If the vehicle is stopped by an officer, the officer will check to see if the driver is authorized by the owner to be driving the vehicle. If the driver is not authorized, the police will take appropriate action.

How to register:

Contact the Community Outreach Resource and Education (C.O.R.E.) Unit of the Plainsboro Twp. Police Dept. at 609-799-2333 ext. 619.

or

Download the application here and hand deliver or mail it back to:

Plainsboro Twp. Police Department
641 Plainsboro Road
Plainsboro, NJ 08536
Attn. C.O.R.E. Unit