Maureen Koch, of Butler, demonstrates a stereo tape deck in her car in this photo published April 15, 1970. Butler Eagle File Photo

The “stereo tape caper” of Butler struck multiple vehicle tape decks in early 1970, with police reports indicating that the number of thefts increased with the popularity of the canned music fad.

According to the April 15, 1970, edition of the Butler Eagle, a tape deck could cost anywhere from $33.33 to $119 for a portable model that locks in place under a car’s dashboard.

Police said recovering a stolen tape deck was unlikely because most victims could not identify their machine by its serial number.

There was one part of the tape deck that most thieves could not get in their haste, which was the cord that connected the tape deck to a vehicle’s rear speaker. However, the cord cost only a few dollars, and a clerk at an auto store said they were “selling them like hotcakes.”