Plates get removed, plates get swapped- this is a potential (can anybody be bothered?) tell if the relationship of plates matched to tyres change.

Probably because the tyres were routinely changed, occassionally because the plates were changed ..

This goes to the domain of "who cares about plates | body VIN | engine VIN | tyre relationships".

Plates getting swapped doesn't really work on NY anymore.

Even 3 weeks ago, someone rolled up to our building parking lot at night here in long Island and stole plates off a car. We had it on camera.

The cops had them arrested the next day because they drove by one of thousands of plate scanners with the stolen plates fitted on a car.

Basically even every police vehicle has plate scanners on its rear pointed forwards into both lanes.