The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) released its annual “Hot Spots” report on auto theft last month, and western states continued their long-standing tradition of hosting the hot beds of auto theft for the U.S.

Although Las Vegas, Nev., overtook the number one position as the “hot spot” capital of auto theft in the nation, California cities continued to dominate the national list with five of its cities/regions ranked in the top 10 spots. Stockton, Calif., was ranked second, Visalia/Porterville was ranked third, the Sacramento region was ranked number seventh, and Fresno came in at number eight. But there was a silver lining of sorts for the state. Modesto, Calif., which has been ranked the number one city in auto thefts per capita for the last three years, dropped down to the number five ranking.

But the NICB's research makes it clear that the auto-theft problem is a regional one. Neighboring states and West continue to dominate the list. Arizona's Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale region and the city of Tucson were ranked fourth and tenth, respectively. And Washington State also struggled, with the Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue region ranked sixth, and Yakima ranked ninth.

To determine the rankings, the NICB said it reviewed data supplied by the National Crime Information Center for each of the nation's 361 metropolitan statistical areas. The rate was determined by the number of vehicle theft offenses per 100,000 inhabitants using the 2005 U.S. census population estimates, the most current figures available, the NICB reported.

But the question remains: Why, out of all the cities in the U.S., is auto theft concentrated strictly in western metropolitan areas? NICB spokesperson Frank Scafidi offered a few theories.

“Number one, you've got around 40 million vehicles registered in California alone, which is more than you have even when you combine several states' numbers,” said Scafidi. “Typically, vehicles also stay in better shape for longer periods of time because there isn't a lot of the severe weather that is found elsewhere in the country. The proximity to ports along the coast combined with borders at both ends of the state also plays a role.”

In addition, Scafidi said that California's methamphetamine problem means that addicts could be inclined to steal automobiles and parts in order to fund their habits.

Special Reports /

Auto-Theft Rates Highest in the West

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