The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported the good news and bad news about auto theft today, saying crimes impacting the industry was declining in the East even as it increased in the West, where Modesto, Calif. had the highest stolen car rate.

Although the theft rate is high in California, so is the recovery rate for stolen vehicles, said bureau spokesman Frank Scafidi, who noted that the California Highway Patrol recently reported a 90 percent recovery rate for stolen vehicles.

Overall, the car snatching rate is on a downward trend, according to NICB.

The Des Plaines, Ill.-based bureau said the highest rate of car thievery is in California, where six of the top-10 theft level cities are located.

The organization said that for 2005, the 10 metropolitan statistical areas with the highest vehicle theft rates are, in order:

o Modesto, Calif.

o Las Vegas/Paradise, Nev.

o Stockton, Calif.

o Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, Ariz.

o Visalia/Porterville, Calif.

o Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue, Wash.

o Sacramento/Arden/Arcade/Roseville, Calif.

o San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos, Calif.

o Fresno, Calif.

o Yakima, Wash.

NICB said that for its rankings, it reviewed data supplied by the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) for each of the nation's 360 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs).

MSAs are designated by the Office of Management and Budget and may include areas surrounding a specific city. The bureau noted that, for example, the number-one "hot spot" in the current report is Modesto, but the Modesto MSA includes data not only from the city of Modesto, but the entire county of Stanislaus in which Modesto is located.

The rate is determined by the number of vehicle theft offenses per 100,000 inhabitants, using the 2004 U.S. Census Population Estimates--the most current figures available.

NICB said preliminary FBI data shows a 2.1 percent decrease in motor vehicle thefts during January-June 2005, when compared with the same period in 2004. Nationally, this is the second straight year of decreases in vehicle theft.

Most of the high theft cities are near a sea port or the Mexican border, and Mr. Scafidi said the theory is that many stolen cars wind up leaving the country.

He said the national recovery rate is running 60-to-65 percent each year, with 1.2 million vehicles stolen in 2004.

Of the unrecovered vehicles, "a lot are disassembled and parts are used on other vehicles. Attempts are made to mask the ID of stolen cars by applying VIN numbers from salvage or others that have been junked," said Mr. Scafidi.

Many times, he said, vehicles that are recovered are taken for parts after owners have invested in giant tires, expensive wheel rims and other items that can run into thousands of dollars.

NICB's president and chief executive officer, Robert M. Bryant, said the bureau has attacked theft through expanded efforts with member companies and law enforcement.

He said police use of bait cars is most effective--noting that in those communities where bait cars are employed, there have been significant declines in the auto theft problem.

NICB said drivers as a deterrent should remove car keys, lock auto doors and park in a well-lit area, as well as equip vehicles with alarms, steering column collars, steering wheel/brake pedal locks, wheel locks and theft deterrent decals identification markers in or on the vehicle.

They also recommended having devices that prevent hot-wiring the vehicle, such as smart keys, kill switches and starter, ignition and fuel pump disablers. Finally they recommend having a tracking device.

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New Stats: Car Theft Is Biggest In The West

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