A timely question. A recent report issued by the National Insurance Crime Bureau revealed that Las Vegas has the second highest rate of car theft in the country (behind Modesto, California). In 2005, a car was stolen approximately once every 25 minutes in Clark County, with the five most-stolen cars being, in order of preference: 1994 Honda Accord; 2000 Honda Civic; 1989 Toyota Camry; 1994 Saturn SL; and 1992 Nissan Sentra. Car thefts are so prevalent here that in 1999, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department set up a special detail within its Property Crimes Section called VIPER (Vehicle Investigations Project for Enforcement & Recovery), an undercover multi-jurisdictional task force focusing on auto-theft-for-profit cases.
As far as your specific question is concerned, figures released by Metro earlier this year revealed that between Nov. 21, 2005, and May 16, 2006, at least 23 of the 743 cars stolen from locations on the Strip were pilfered from valet-parking areas. As a percentage of the total, that figure isn't so high (3.1%), and a Metro spokesman confirmed that your vehicle is statistically safer in valet than it is in a hotel's self-parking garage (no precise figures were available on this, however). On the other hand, the fact that any cars are stolen from valet is cause for concern, especially if you take time to read the small print on your valet claim ticket—something we recommend— where you'll generally be informed in no uncertain terms that the property "assumes no liability for theft, fire, or damage to any car, equipment, or articles left in same." That's pretty standard policy, as we found out in the course or researching the QoD for 08/26/2005. Some casinos may choose to do the nice thing and compensate you for any damage or loss that occurs while your vehicle is in their hands, but be aware that they're not legally obliged to and some will take the "not-our-problem" approach.
Some valet areas aren't secure, while others that are (in theory) sometimes opt to leave your keys in the vehicle to speed up the retrieval process, which is asking for trouble, if you ask us. Valet thefts are nothing new and in fact it's probably a lot safer today than it was when the mob controlled this city. Here's an extract from Dennis Griffin's The Battle for Las Vegas: The Law vs. The Mob, which highlights one of the particularly ingenious rackets favored by Tony "the Ant" Spilotro and his infamous "Hole in the Wall Gang":
"One of these scams was operated out of two locations, a major Strip property and a popular restaurant, and involved valet parkers. The valets identified affluent guests and struck up conversations to obtain additional information about the guest's plans. For locals, valets could usually find address information with the registration papers in the vehicle. In the case of visitors, the name of their hotel was extracted during seemingly idle chitchat. Then, indicating long and short-term parking areas, the valet inquired as to how long the guest would be leaving their car. If the answer reflected a lengthy stay, the valet turned over the car to a burglar who, armed with the keys to the residence, could conduct a leisurely burglary, using the victim's own car to transport the booty. For out-of-towners, a friendly desk clerk at their hotel was contacted for specific room information. If the target's plans didn't allow the time for an immediate theft, the information was filed away for possible future use."
Today, valet is certainly safer than other public parking options—fitness clubs are a particular hot spot, apparently. Bottom line, drivers need to exercise caution and vigilance. If you opt for valet, make sure the attendant you're handing your keys to is wearing valid ID. Ask if they intend to leave the keys in the vehicle or keep them secure in the office. Don't leave valuables lying around for all to see. And if you self-park, make sure you lock your vehicle and take the paperwork with you.
