Oak Park, MI - Brazen Theft Of Dodge Charger Right Out Of The Police Department Garage- Found In Detroit

August 31, 2011

dailytribune.com

Police are doing an internal investigation on how a thief managed to steal a car from the police garage about a half hour after officers impounded the vehicle.

“It was an extremely brazen theft,” said Oak Park Public Safety Lt. Mike Pousak. “But it was also a failure on our part. There is no excuse for it and it will not happen again.”

Police said the door to the police garage had been left open when the car was stolen.

“The officers neglected to close the garage door,” Pousak said. “Somebody walked into the garage, quickly jumped into the Charger and took off with it.”

Oak Park police found the twice-stolen Charger abandoned in Detroit that day after it was taken from the police garage.

Police were called to Pearson early Aug. 24 on a report of two men stealing wheels from a parked Cadillac.

While investigating the incident they found the Charger parked near the scene with one stolen wheel in the back seat and another in the trunk, which was open, police said.
Investigators believe the suspect who fled may have been the person who later stole the Charger from the police garage.

Police said they are still investigating the case and trying to develop a case to establish enough probable cause for the Oakland County Prosecutor to issue a warrant.

No officers have been suspended as a result of the incident and an internal investigation is focusing on all the officers who were working the shift when the Charger was stolen from the garage, Pousak said.

“It is everybody’s responsibility to make sure evidence is secured when it is brought in, especially when it is brought into the garage,” he said.

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