| A chop shop is a slang term for an illegal business | | | | feel they can get away with it. But more likely than |
| that takes apart stolen automobiles and sells the | | | | not, individual parts from cars are easier to sell and |
| parts for profit. The term can also be used for a | | | | are more lucrative when selling them than selling the |
| location that sells stolen goods in general, not | | | | entire car. |
| necessarily automobile parts, or a firm that sells | | | | Chop shops are usually small in size because large |
| equities that do not exist. It can encompass fraud | | | | chop shops are more prone to raids and are more |
| and stolen goods but is almost always used to refer | | | | noticeable than smaller operations. Why? If a chop |
| to the automotive industry. Chop shops are located | | | | shop is raided and there is a huge holding area of |
| all over the country and are more likely to be in large | | | | hundreds of cars waiting to be chopped, then the |
| cities where the population is extremely large and | | | | people working there will face for charges and more |
| cars are easy to come by. | | | | counts of grand theft auto than if it were a small |
| Chop shops are run by criminals that have either | | | | shop. With a small shop, the operation is on an as |
| been in the auto theft business before or are just | | | | needed basis. When the shop needs a car to chop up |
| dipping their toes into it for the first time. It is usually | | | | for parts they will notify their thieves, who will then |
| a ring of thieves that is run by one person. There are | | | | bring in a car or two. Once those cars are chopped |
| people that work there specifically for stealing the | | | | up more will be brought in and so on. |
| cars and bringing them to the chop shop. Then, there | | | | Stealing cars, specifically in the state of New York, is |
| are people at the chop shop that will chop up the car | | | | about to become increasingly difficult. The state's |
| for parts and then the car is removed from the shop | | | | district attorney's office is releasing a car into the |
| and left on cinder blocks on the streets to be found | | | | public that is a prototype of new cars to come. This |
| and unusable. | | | | car will be used as bait for car thieves and as a sting |
| Parts that are taken for a chop shop are the stereo, | | | | operation for police. When the car is broken into and |
| in-car DVD players and gaming systems, anything left | | | | the engine is started, it will run for around five |
| in the car that is of value including I-Pods, CD players, | | | | minutes and then the doors will lock, the engine will |
| phones, CDs, DVDs, jewelry, portable radios and GPS | | | | shut off, and the steering column will lock into place. |
| systems. Chop shops will also take wheels, hub caps, | | | | The thief is stuck inside the car with no way out and |
| tires, bumpers, steering wheels, engines, carburetors, | | | | the car cannot be moved any further. This will help |
| security systems, leather seats, and much more. | | | | police catch notorious car thieves and hopefully limit |
| Sometimes, a chop shop will sell the entire car if they | | | | the number of cars stolen in the area. |