NICB: National Vehicle Theft Rates Fall, Again

The National Insurance Crime Bureau revealed that while 2010 saw the number of national vehicle thefts decline for the seventh consecutive year, the top five “hot spots," all on the West Coast, showed an increase when compared to 2009.

For example, the area with the highest vehicle theft rate — Fresno, Calif. — saw a rise of 1,684 thefts when compared to 2009, with 7,559 recorded in 2010.

NICB’s report examines vehicle theft data obtained from the National Crime Information Center for each of the nation’s Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA), which are designated by the Office of Management and Budget, officials noted.

"While improved anti-theft technology and law enforcement efforts have had a significant impact on thefts, professional criminal rings and gangs are active in parts of the country and stopping them is the ongoing challenge," said Joe Wehrle, chief executive officer and president of NICB, a nonprofit organization that specializes in researching insurance fraud and vehicle theft.

Other top five spot holders, including Modesto, Calif. and Spokane, Wash., all saw a rise in vehicle thefts during 2010, as well, though none as drastic as Fresno’s upward climb.

Though the top five saw crime rates heat up, the remaining areas on the top 10 hot spot list actually had fewer thefts, reflecting the national decline.

The FBI’s preliminary 2010 crime statistics published last month indicate a 7.2-percent drop in vehicle thefts from 2009’s recorded 794,616.

If that estimate holds when the final statistics are published in the fall, it would result in the lowest annual vehicle thefts since 1967, noted the NICB.

The NICB’s top 10 hot spots for vehicle thefts, compared to the areas’ 2009 rankings are as follows:

The full Hot Spots report is available at www.nicb.org.

NICB Offers Tips to Avoid Vehicle Theft

After reporting on areas with the highest rate of vehicle theft in the nation, the NICB offered four “layers of protection” against the auto crime, the first being common sense.

How does the NICB suggest you use common sense? Elements of this protection layer include simple routines, such as removing your keys from the ignition, locking your doors and closing your windows and parking in a well-lit area.

If these precautions don’t deter criminals, then a warning device might. According to the NICB, the second layer of protection against vehicle theft calls upon devices such as audible alarms, steering column collars, brake locks, and theft deterrent decals, to name a few.

The third layer noted includes items a bit less common. These include smart keys, fuse cut-offs, starter, ignition and fuel pump disablers and wireless ignition authentication, as well as kill switches, a hidden switch that needs to be flipped on for the car to start.

Lastly, if the aforementioned layers of protection fail and the car is stolen, a tracking device is one of the last lines of defense, stressed the NICB. As the final layer of protection, a tracking device, which emits a signal to police or a monitoring station when the vehicle is stolen, can help authorities recover units.

Some tracking systems even utilize telematics, which combine GPS and wireless technologies to allow remote monitoring of a vehicle.When the vehicle is moved, the system will alert the owner, and the vehicle can be tracked via computer.

Anyone with information concerning vehicle theft and insurance fraud can report it anonymously by calling toll-free 1-800-TEL-NICB (1-800-835-6422), texting keyword "fraud" to TIP411 (847411) or by visiting the NICB’s website at www.nicb.org.