The French Barrier Model

In France, the barrier model against vehicle theft comprises seven steps, focusing on restricting entry, residence limitations, infrastructure weaknesses, and strategic logistical barriers. The model addresses differences in opportunities and methods for resale and transport, distinguishing between thefts destined for export and those for direct resale. The model also suggests barriers to curtail vehicle theft by limiting its inroads to the legal market.

Click the “+” symbol for more information on each step. Explore the detailed insights in our report to learn more about the barrier model.

ENTRY
  1. Open borders
  2. Obligation to have car documents in the car
  3. Foreign number plate to a French plate
  1. Complete visual picture
  2. Luxury cars registered in countries where rental prices are low
  3. Foreign documents from a country where it is mandatory to have one’s documents constantly in the car
  1. Public transport
  2. FlixBus
  3. Transport companies (rental companies, leasing companies, etc.)
  4. Airports
  1. ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition)
  2. Customs
  3. Border police
  4. Law enforcement in general
  5. Telecom companies
  6. Databases
  7. Foreign rental firms
  1. Bordertask
  2. Law Enforcement Agency (LEA) training
  3. LEA control
  4. Information sharing between different partners
STAY
  1. Acquaintances
  2. Airbnb
  3. Hotels
  4. Pay tolls with cash
  5. Make up vehicle
  1. Language
  2. Overcrowding
  3. Recent license plate (« WW »)
  4. Rent a garage by paying cash and not with a credit card
  1. Criminal network
  2. Airbnb
  3. Freedom of movement on the French national territory
  4. Difficulties to apply Law of 2004 for trust in the digital economy
  5. Low cost of garage rental
  1. Hotels
  2. Community officer
  3. Law Enforcement Agency (LEA) in general
  4. Mayor
  5. Municipality
  6. Airbnb
  7. Citizens who are suspicious about a car
  1. Control of registration within the municipality
  2. Official registration Airbnb/legislature
  3. Rental Check App
  4. Sensitisation of accommodation employees/staff
  5. File complaint to trigger investigations
  6. Road checks: identify areas where vehicles stay
INFRASTRUCTURE
  1. The visibility and accessibility: night, on-road parking, open parking
  2. The roads or harbours
  1. A car following another one at night after it was exploring the district
  2. Individuals transporting tools at night
  3. The plates
  4. Individuals on a boat who are unable to justify the origin of their vehicles
  5. On a boat: recent and high-value vehicles while leaving from regions with high vehicle theft rates
  1. Teachers of the network
  2. Mediterranean ferry
  1. Customs and Police services
  2. Car owners
  3. Municipalities, the trustee, and landlords responsible for collective residences
  4. The organisations committed in the organisation of vehicle transport in harbours
  1. Information sharing between the owners of a collective open parking
  2. Edit a list of the most frequently stolen vehicle models
  3. Awareness raising of car owners (alarms)
  4. Equip the areas with the highest vehicle theft rates
CRIME
  1. Weakness of vehicle’s security systems
  2. Many methods to steal a car
  1. Reuniting equipment necessary
  2. Activities on social networks: formations to vehicle theft
  3. Behaviour on public thoroughfare

The platforms on which the necessary equipment is found

  1. Car manufacturers
  2. Internet platforms
  1. Collaboration with the websites selling systems
  2. Sensitise individuals to scams
  3. Anti-theft devices
STORAGE
  1. Directly export in containers
  2. Putting the vehicle far away from them
  3. Underground garages and car parks, or container
  4. Change the vehicle’s color and change the license plates
  5. Attributing new documents: steal vehicles’ documents or to buy it on the internet.
  1. Several similar vehicle models in underground garages or car parks
  2. Frequencies used to block the GPS signals
  3. Facilitator
  4. The containers and shipping companies
  5. Partner
  6. The collaboration of parking owners
  7. The authorities

The containers and shipping companies

  1. The containers and shipping companies
  2. The collaboration of parking owners
  3. The authorities
  1. Jammer detection systems at toll booths
  2. Create small, dedicated forces controlling the car parks
  3. Perfected geolocation systems on vehicles
  4. Awareness of how to pass on information to the police/gendarmerie
TRANSPORT
  1. The harbours
  2. Massive exportations of second-hand vehicles
  1. Recent SUV or city cars in ships at the destination of Africa
  2. The license plates
  3. A second-hand vehicle equipped with plates beginning with WW
  1. The garage owner
  2. The shipowner and the consignee
  3. The African customs
  4. The vehicle park’s owner
  5. The mules
  1. The garage owner
  2. The shipowner and the consignee
  3. The African customs
  4. The vehicle park’s owner
  1. An European task force
  2. A task force with European and African members
  3. Tighten the legislations about the export of second-hand vehicles from Europe
PROFIT
  1. Low-cost rental luxury vehicle
  2. Use the legal market to exploit the vehicle
  1. Seller wants to be paid with cash
  2. Wide non-declared businesses (scrap dealers)
  1. Complacency or neglect of some car dealers and scrap dealers
  2. Crossing border thanks to Schengen space

Work inspection

  1. Work inspection
  2. Inform citizens
  3. Compulsory registration on the “Histovec” website