Following two years with declining auto theft rates, incidents of stolen vehicles spiked in the U.S. during 2020, growing 11% year-on-year, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). In total, there were 880,595 vehicle thefts across the U.S. this past year, which equates to about one stolen every 36 seconds. "Auto thefts saw a dramatic increase in 2020 versus 2019 in part due to the pandemic, an economic downturn, law enforcement realignment, depleted social and schooling programs, and, in still too many cases, owner complacency," David Glawe, president and CEO of the NICB, said in a release. "For many people, a car is the second largest investment they will ever make behind a home. As such, it is important to take simple steps to protect your investment — lock your car and take your keys, no matter where you live." While overall car thefts were up, some states and territories did see incident rates decrease. For example, Puerto Rico saw nearly 1,900 fewer vehicle thefts in 2020 compared with the year prior. Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Nevada, New Mexico, Alaska, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia also saw declining theft rates, according to NICB. Although Florida saw fewer stolen vehicles during 2020, it still has one of the highest frequencies in the country. Combined with California and Texas, the trio accounted for 37% of all thefts nationally. To protect against auto theft, the crime bureau recommends the following four layers of protection:

1. Common sense: Always remove keys from the ignition, lock doors and windows and park in well-lit areas.
2. Warning devices: Aftermarket alarms are available for any vehicle type, while visual devices such as steering wheel locks, column collars and brake locks are also effective deterrents.
3. Immobilizing devices: Smart keys, fuse cut-offs, kill switches and wireless ignition authentication can prevent thieves from bypassing the ignition and hot-wiring the vehicle.
4. Tracking devices: Effective at helping recover stolen cars, some systems combine GPS and wireless technology to allow remote monitoring of the vehicle. If the car moves, the owner is alerted, and the vehicle is tracked.

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