To those in the auto industry a platform is generally thought to be a chassis arrangement that, thanks to today's global production techniques, finds its way beneath a variety of the different vehicle makes and models. To law enforcement personnel an automobile platform is more likely to be perceived as a mobile crime platform. Crime and the automobile have been reluctant soul mates since Henry Ford mass-produced the venerable Model T back in the 1920s. Unfortunately, society's reliance on the automobile failed to increase independent of criminal activity.
If asked to identify the most common criminal offences facilitated by an automobile, most folks would probably prattle-off "impaired driving" as if by rote. Next on their chart of vehicular villainy would likely be "hit and run" or "get-away car." Of course all these answers would be correct but there is much more criminality lurking beneath the shiny sheet metal of today's platforms than just rust- and many members of the public may inadvertently play a part.
Certain types of vehicles have come to define criminal organizations. Take for example large SUVs such as the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator. These rides have become very popular with violent gangs. Why? Well they present an imposing image due to their massive size; they also impart a sense of wealth. For such individuals size equates to intimidation and wealth equates to power. On the more practical side, large SUVs can accommodate a "gansta" crew and their weaponry of choice, which can be very handy in the criminal subculture. Of particular concern with these vehicles, or any vehicle for that matter, is the growing trend of secret compartment installations.
Many movie buffs will remember the 1971 movie, The French Connection, in which Gene Hackman played New York Police Detective, Popeye Doyle. How were the bad guys in this excellent drama moving their heroin? In the hollowed-out rocker panels of a 1970 Lincoln no less. My point here is that there is nothing new about secret compartments, what is new is their level of sophistication and intended purpose. Some shops are enjoying a burgeoning business designing and installing hidden compartments used for the sole purpose of covertly placing a firearm within a driver's reach or the reach of others occupying a vehicle.
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If asked to identify the most common criminal offences facilitated by an automobile, most folks would probably prattle-off "impaired driving" as if by rote. Next on their chart of vehicular villainy would likely be "hit and run" or "get-away car." Of course all these answers would be correct but there is much more criminality lurking beneath the shiny sheet metal of today's platforms than just rust- and many members of the public may inadvertently play a part.
Certain types of vehicles have come to define criminal organizations. Take for example large SUVs such as the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator. These rides have become very popular with violent gangs. Why? Well they present an imposing image due to their massive size; they also impart a sense of wealth. For such individuals size equates to intimidation and wealth equates to power. On the more practical side, large SUVs can accommodate a "gansta" crew and their weaponry of choice, which can be very handy in the criminal subculture. Of particular concern with these vehicles, or any vehicle for that matter, is the growing trend of secret compartment installations.
Many movie buffs will remember the 1971 movie, The French Connection, in which Gene Hackman played New York Police Detective, Popeye Doyle. How were the bad guys in this excellent drama moving their heroin? In the hollowed-out rocker panels of a 1970 Lincoln no less. My point here is that there is nothing new about secret compartments, what is new is their level of sophistication and intended purpose. Some shops are enjoying a burgeoning business designing and installing hidden compartments used for the sole purpose of covertly placing a firearm within a driver's reach or the reach of others occupying a vehicle.
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