For the fifth consecutive year, data collected by the NationalInsurance Crime Bureau (NICB) points to a steady decline in U.S.auto theft. NICB's latest "Hot Spots" report examines vehicle theftinformation obtained from the National Crime Information Center(NCIC) for each of the nation's metropolitan statistical areas(MSAs) in 2008.

Although most areas experienced a reduction, auto theftcontinues to plague the western part of the United States. Thestates bordering Mexico show mixed results, with California stillleading the pack in terms of total number of thefts. In fact, NICBranked Modesto, Cali. as the MSA with the highest theft rate in2008, and five other MSAs in the Golden State made the sameinfamous "top ten" list. Bakersfield, Cali., formerly rated 15th in2007, jumped to the fifth slot.

Preliminary 2008 crime data released by the FBI in Januaryindicates that 2008 will post a double-digit decline in vehicletheft when final numbers are released in the fall. If thepreliminary figure of -12.6 percent stands, then it will representthe largest single year percent drop in thefts since 1999.

"This is a mixed bag of good news and bad news on the vehicletheft front," said Joe Wehrle, NICB president and chief executiveofficer. "The good news is, we're seeing steady progress inreducing the overall theft rate and that means Americans aren'tshelling out as much to cover the cost of stolen vehicles in theirinsurance premiums. We've also seen significant decreases in keyareas along the border such as San Diego, where thefts droppednearly 20 percent."

Conversely, NICB observed a marked uptick in 2008 in the numberof thefts in the Texas MSAs of El Paso, Laredo, and San Antonio,along with Las Cruces, NM.

"The bad news is that the theft rate continues to increase inareas like El Paso and Laredo where many of the cars, trucks andSUVs being stolen are being used to carry drugs, money and weaponsinto and out of Mexico," Wehrle said. "These vehicle thefts arehelping finance the drug cartels that are waging war on the Mexicangovernment."

For years, NICB has collaborated with U.S. and Mexicanauthorities to recover and return stolen vehicles -- more than4,000 were retrieved last year alone. The organization continues tostrongly support efforts at the federal and state levels to reducethe flow of stolen vehicles across the border.

The auto theft rates are determined by the number of vehicletheft offenses per 100,000 inhabitants using the 2008 U.S. CensusPopulation Estimates, the most current figures available. The tenMSAs with the highest vehicle theft rates for 2008 are:

1. Modesto, CA

2. Laredo, TX

3. Yakima, WA

4. San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos, CA

5. Bakersfield, CA

6. Stockton, CA

7. Las Vegas/Paradise, NV

8. Albuquerque, NM

9. San Francisco/Oakland/Fremont, CA

10. Fresno, CA

For the complete information on "Hot Spots 2008," visitwww.nicb.org.