Acorn wrote:(According to what I know) The correct answer MUST show how two sides can CO-EXIST. And the correct answer MUST conform to the specifics of the stimulus.



(A) Owners of stolen cars almost invariably report the theft immediately to the police but tend to delay notifying their insurance company, in the hope that the vehicle will be recovered.

It talks about stolen cars and not the anti-theft alarm installed cars.

(B) Most cars that are stolen are not equipped with antitheft devices, and most cars that are equipped with antitheft devices are not stolen.

It is just a restatement of the stimulus. It does not resolve the paradox.

(C) The most common automobile antitheft devices are audible alarms, which typically produce ten false alarms for every actual attempted theft.

It does not resolve the paradox. In fact it should lead to more number of police reports.

(D) Automobile owners who have particularly theft-prone cars and live in areas of greatest incidence of car theft are those who are most likely to have antitheft devices installed.

This allows for co-existence of both sides. There are two types of anti-theft-device-installed cars. One is theft prone and another one is not-theft prone. Also the theft-prone anti-theft device installed car is in areas of greatest incidence of car theft. Insurance company stats is correct in the above situation. Just look at the opposite situation. A not-theft prone car installed with anti-theft device in areas of greatest incidence of car theft. In this case the police stats is correct. ( Because the car is not theft prone despite it is installed with anti-theft device)

So, in my view this is the correct answer.

(E) Most automobile thefts are the work of professional thieves against whose efforts antitheft devices offer scant protection.

Explains only the insurance company's studies.

fitzgerald23 wrote:1. Police say cars with antitheft devices are at a reduced risk to be stolen
2. Insurance companies say cares with devices are more likely to be stolen than those without


D. Correct. This resolves the two points. This tells us that most people who install antitheft devices live in areas of high crime. So from the polices point of view those cars are less likely to be stolen than those without. From the insurance companies view though it tells you that the people getting antitheft devices are getting them because they are already in an area of high crime whereas those in low areas of crime dont install them. So a car alarm likely means more risk compared to the entire pool of cars because of the location where the car is located.

E. Incorrect. This does not really strengthen either position.