Data from the Houston Police Department shows an uptick in license plate theft after statewide changes were issued.Police told ABC13 they're noticing an uptick in the number of license plates being stolen from vehicles across the city as a result ofThose changes were intended to make paper ones harder to forge, which criminals were regularly doing to commit crimes with untraceable license plate numbers.
Hicks said some of that increase could also be attributed to factors such as population growth and more cars on the road.He explained that criminals will steal a vehicle and sometimes swap those plates out with the ones on your car if they look similar. Hicks also said they might just steal one of your plates, which is why it's important to regularly check your vehicle to ensure both of your plates belong to your car and are attached to the vehicle.