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CNN Live Saturday
How Do Authorities Search for Vehicles?
Aired October 19, 2002 - 18:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to review our top story -- the search for the sniper in the Washington area. Investigators found a shell casing in a white rental truck but at least one source now doubts the truck has any link to the shootings.
The police still want the public to be on the lookout for a white box truck.
CNN's Beth Nissen reports now on how police search for a particular vehicle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BETH NISSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): How do law enforcement agencies search for a vehicle of a particular description -- say, a white Astro van or a Ford Econoline van? They patrol streets and highways looking for vehicles that match the description. They sift calls from people who think they've spotted it.
Police know from long experience the value of vehicle clues in solving crimes, robberies, rapes, homicides.
DET. STEPHEN JONES, NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE: In many cases that's the most important clue that we have. Vehicle information will get us closer than any other evidence in terms of narrowing a suspect down.
NISSEN: The New Jersey State Police maintain a database of information on 23.6 million vehicles registered or once registered in the state -- a database almost identical to the ones maintained in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. How does the search work?
SGT. CHARLIE MAKATURA, NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE: The first thing we do is we get as many descriptors as possible -- that being the year range that we're looking for, the color, the make, the type of vehicle.
NISSEN: This morning they are searching for a white Honda Civic.
MAKATURA: When we run it against the database the first thing we are looking for is we're looking for the make of Honda. The year criteria we weren't specific, which will give us all years. We came out with 1.1 million records that matched the make of the Honda specifically.
NISSEN: That vast number is pared down by entering a VIN or vehicle identification number code specific to the Honda Civic.
MAKATURA: We went down to 254,000.
NISSEN: In this case they have a partial license plate. They believe it starts with the letters SVM. That greatly narrows the search.
MAKATURA: By paring it down from first make to year to vehicle registration number we were able to come up with 54 records. That listed all colors.
NISSEN: Investigators are careful not to make their color search too narrow. People write in a broad spectrum of color descriptions on their vehicle registration forms.
MAKATURA: Whatever they deem the color to be the person may register it with that color and it could be something as far off as pewter.
NISSEN: The computer culls from its list of Honda Civics those that are white and silver, cream, beige -- even yellow.
MAKATURA: We came up with 14 Hondas that were either white or silver or that could be construed as being white.
NISSEN: The names and addresses of the registered owners of those 14 cars go to the investigating detective.
MAKATURA: And now it just really revolves around his police work to go out and track down these individuals.
NISSEN: Individuals who might be the suspect, might know the suspect or might lead to the suspect.
Beth Nissen, CNN, Trenton, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 19, 2002 - 18:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to review our top story -- the search for the sniper in the Washington area. Investigators found a shell casing in a white rental truck but at least one source now doubts the truck has any link to the shootings.
The police still want the public to be on the lookout for a white box truck.
CNN's Beth Nissen reports now on how police search for a particular vehicle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BETH NISSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): How do law enforcement agencies search for a vehicle of a particular description -- say, a white Astro van or a Ford Econoline van? They patrol streets and highways looking for vehicles that match the description. They sift calls from people who think they've spotted it.
Police know from long experience the value of vehicle clues in solving crimes, robberies, rapes, homicides.
DET. STEPHEN JONES, NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE: In many cases that's the most important clue that we have. Vehicle information will get us closer than any other evidence in terms of narrowing a suspect down.
NISSEN: The New Jersey State Police maintain a database of information on 23.6 million vehicles registered or once registered in the state -- a database almost identical to the ones maintained in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. How does the search work?
SGT. CHARLIE MAKATURA, NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE: The first thing we do is we get as many descriptors as possible -- that being the year range that we're looking for, the color, the make, the type of vehicle.
NISSEN: This morning they are searching for a white Honda Civic.
MAKATURA: When we run it against the database the first thing we are looking for is we're looking for the make of Honda. The year criteria we weren't specific, which will give us all years. We came out with 1.1 million records that matched the make of the Honda specifically.
NISSEN: That vast number is pared down by entering a VIN or vehicle identification number code specific to the Honda Civic.
MAKATURA: We went down to 254,000.
NISSEN: In this case they have a partial license plate. They believe it starts with the letters SVM. That greatly narrows the search.
MAKATURA: By paring it down from first make to year to vehicle registration number we were able to come up with 54 records. That listed all colors.
NISSEN: Investigators are careful not to make their color search too narrow. People write in a broad spectrum of color descriptions on their vehicle registration forms.
MAKATURA: Whatever they deem the color to be the person may register it with that color and it could be something as far off as pewter.
NISSEN: The computer culls from its list of Honda Civics those that are white and silver, cream, beige -- even yellow.
MAKATURA: We came up with 14 Hondas that were either white or silver or that could be construed as being white.
NISSEN: The names and addresses of the registered owners of those 14 cars go to the investigating detective.
MAKATURA: And now it just really revolves around his police work to go out and track down these individuals.
NISSEN: Individuals who might be the suspect, might know the suspect or might lead to the suspect.
Beth Nissen, CNN, Trenton, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
