Car thefts on downward trend
Published May 4th, 2008
By John Johnston
Managing Editor
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) says that the Modesto, CA, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had the highest per capita rate for vehicle thefts in the nation in 2007.
Perhaps more socially than statistically important, however, is that of the top ten worst cities for car theft, four of them are in California. Moreover, the second worst city, for car theft, according to NICB was Las Vegas.
However, and if the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce didn’t have that fact to worry about, it turns out that the state of Nevada itself leads the nation as the most dangerous state.
And what’s worse, it’s the fifth consecutive year that Nevada has had that distinction, according to Morgan Quinto Press, a Kansas researcher and publisher of statistics.
Nevada’s crime numbers? Rankings in crime (out of 50 states) (1 = worst, 50 = best): assault: 8; burglary: 6; murder: 3; motor vehicle theft: 1 rape: 8; robbery: 1
In Boca
Back in Boca Raton, and according to Police Department Public Information Officer Sandra Boonenberg, the city had 170 stolen vehicles in 2007.
The most popular vehicle to steal in Boca Raton last year was either a Honda Civic or Ford Mustang, Boonenberg said.
Nationwide for 2007, the ten areas with the highest vehicle theft rates were:
- Modesto, CA
- Las Vegas/Paradise, NV
- San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos, CA
- Stockton, CA
- San Francisco/Oakland/Fremont, CA
- Laredo, TX
- Albuquerque, NM
- Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, AZ
- Yakima, WA
- Tucson, AZ
Each year, NICB analysts review vehicle theft data obtained from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) for each of the nation’s MSAs. MSAs are designated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and often include areas much larger than the cities for which they are named. For example, the Modesto MSA includes the entire county of Stanislaus and other municipalities in addition to the city of Modesto, the NICB said.
The number of vehicle theft offenses per 100,000 inhabitants using the 2007 U.S. Census population estimates, determined the rankings noted above.
Positive Trend
Preliminary 2007 crime data released by the FBI in January contains some positive news on the vehicle theft front, however,
According to NICB preliminary crime data released by the FBI there’s some positive news on the vehicle theft front. Not only is 2007 on track to be the fourth consecutive year of declining vehicle thefts, but if the preliminary figure of -7.4 percent holds, it will be the largest single year percent drop in thefts since 1999, said the NICB.
However, the good news is no reason for vehicle owners or law enforcement to relax, said the NICB.
“While there is overall great news in our new report, there is also room for concern,” said NICB President and Chief Executive Officer Robert M. Bryant. “Success against vehicle theft can be fleeting without an ongoing and adaptive program that couples the best in theft prevention/recovery technology with law enforcement operations. We must not become complacent in the wake of success.”
|
|
