In its most recent Hot Spots analysis, the NationalInsurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reports a continuing trend of waningvehicle thefts on the national level.

The Des Plaines, Ill.-based organization will publish finalnumbers this fall but has already predicted that 2011 will showanother consecutive year of declining vehicle thefts. Although fourof the top 10 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) logged morethefts last year—an additional 925 collectively—the remaining sixposted fewer by comparison—2,017 fewer, collectively.

See related: NICB's Top Stolen Cars for 2010—A Slideshow

In compiling each Hot Spots report, NICB examinesvehicle theft data obtained by the National Crime InformationCenter (NCIC) for each of the nation's MSAs. Each report reflectsvehicle thefts on a per capita basis. Thus, NICB notes an area witha much smaller population and a moderate number of thefts can—andoften does—have a higher theft rate than an area with a much moresignificant vehicle theft problem and a larger populationto absorb it.

Last week, the FBI released preliminary crime statisticsindicating a 3.3-percent drop in vehicle thefts in 2011, from the737,142 reported in 2010. Contributing to this decline was thesignificant drop in the rankings of the Laredo, Texas MSA—from Number 1 in 2009 to 53in 2011. Within two years, Laredo's thefts declined from 1,792in 2009 to 849 in 2011.

In the chart to the right, NICB lists the 10 MSAs with thehighest vehicle theft rates in 2011, along with theirrespective rankings for the preceding year.

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