Police authorities are reporting a steep decline in the number of reports of stolen cars and trucks. According to El Caribe, the number of reports has gone down from seven or eight a day to three or four. And the recovery rate, despite the appearance of more and more “chop shops”- informal workshops where cars are taken apart and then sold to unscrupulous parts dealers – is improving. Of some 336 reported car thefts between January and March this year, the National Police has recovered 230. However, if the robbery of the vehicle did not include a robbery of the owner, it is generally classified as a “simple robbery” and does not usually get to court because the car owner does not want to be bothered with so many court appearances or else fears reprisals from the thieves. Colonel Baez Ubiera said that when the victims do not want to go to court to face the thieves who stole their property, the courts end up dismissing the case. The officer, who has commanded the National Police Stolen Vehicles Recovery Department on three occasions, said that the biggest problem is the thief who takes the car to the “chop shops” so it can be sold for parts.