"Is there any actual data that shows people with handicapped plates/placards are victimized at higher rates than the general population?"

How could there be? How would they know? Do the police officers writing their report in the ER beside the patient ask them if they had handicapped plates as SOP? Bet not.

"The question is, where victims selected because of their plates, or because they are handicapped?"

You sure wouldn't make much of a mugger, Ironraven! First, you check out the parking lot for handicapped plates, then you park nearby and pick your teeth, waiting to see if the driver really is handicapped. If they aren't, you pass. If they are, you follow them home, and bash 'em before they get to their front door.

There's a trick to handicapped plates vs. the handicapped hang tags: You REALLY need to be handicapped to get the plates. Any bozo can get a hangtag. I read where it is estimated that over half of the issued tags belong to perfectly healthy people who just like to park in handicapped spots because they're lazy. Muggers probably know this....... they've probably got their own tags.

Sue