New steel cables around the Jefferson North Assembly Plant have proven useful.
ClickonDetroit on YoutubeThe Motor City’s automotive assembly plants have been at the center of a car theft ring over the past few years. Ford, General Motors and Stellantis alike have all had their production facilities targeted by thieves, with wild robberies seemingly making the news every other week. Stellantis seems to have had enough of the foolery, having beefed up the fence at its Jefferson North Assembly Plant with thick steel cables. This might seem like a basic solution, but the improvements have already foiled the theft of some Dodge Durangos.
An attempted robbery took place at the Stellatnis facility during the early hours of December 6, according to Click On Detroit. Footage from the scene shows two abandoned Dodge Durango SUVs near the corner of Connor Street and Charlevoix Street on Detroit’s east side. One of the stolen Durangos appears to have rammed the fence, taking a large portion of the barrier down in the process. That said, the truck was prevented from traveling through the fence thanks to the presence of that new steel cable. Pretty impressive stuff when you consider the Durango tips the scales at well over 5000 pounds, and was able to pull the concrete fence posts right out of the ground. The Durango turned battering ram suffered some significant damage to the front fascia during that process, while the second Durango fared slightly better.
As of now, no suspects have been apprehended for their efforts in the attempted robbery, though one can imagine that Jefferson North Assembly won’t be on their target list in the near future. That’s a good thing for the automaker, as the Durango has proven a popular target for these types of raids. Stellantis itself was unwilling to confirm the number of vehicles stolen this past year when speaking with Click on Detroit, though we already know the amount is not inconsequential. Detroit’s auto theft task force is working alongside local automakers to cut down on these incidents, but simple measures like some steel cables might be a good starting place for other production facilities.
H/T to @WWJ950 Auto Beat Reporter Jeff Gilbert (@jefferygilbert) who got a tip from a very reliable source confirming that this was in fact an attempted theft of those vehicles.A tow truck is now here on the scene beginning to take the vehicles away from the crash site.
(2/3) pic.twitter.com/2POD6EdK2Z— Ryan H. Marshall (@RyanHMarshall) December 6, 2022
Lucas Bell Born and raised in Metro Detroit, associate editor Lucas Bell has spent his entire life surrounded by the automotive industry.
Keyword: Dodge Durango Theft Thwarted at Stellantis Plant