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Missouri rolls out program to combat theft of license plate stickers

Bill Greenblatt (UPI)

By Adam Allington, KWMU

St. Louis, MO – Missouri Governor Jay Nixon was in St. Louis on Friday to announce a pilot program aimed at stopping the theft of license plate tabs.

The theft resistant tab program will print the actual license plate number on the tab itself making it possible for police to note a tab that has been stolen and affixed to another plate.

Governor Nixon says the new program is so simple that is a wonder it wasn't implemented sooner.

"If a person's license plate is EE29X4 will also be displayed on their renewal tab," said Nixon. "The tab will only match the plate that it was assigned which takes away a key incentive to steal a tab."

St. Louis Police Chief Dan Isom says this change will drastically cut into the black market for stolen tabs and significantly reduce the burden on the police department.

"This crime is a drain on the resources of the St. Louis police department," said Isom. "Officers need to investigate these crimes; we patrol areas to try to prevent it and have to generate police reports to show that these thefts have occurred."

The new tabs are currently available to everyone who renews their plates online. They are also available at four St. Louis License Bureaus

St. Louis City Hall, 1200 Market Street, Room 111
AAA St. Louis at 3917 Lindell Blvd.
4628 South Kingshighway
Northside at 1330 Aubert Ave, Suite 102B.

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