Auto Theft Rises At Ports, Borders
By Daniel Hays
NU Online News Service, April 30, 4:00 p.m. EST–Vehicle theft is on the rise, and the most active areas for the crime are generally near ports or international borders, a study by the National Insurance Crime Bureau has revealed.
Topping the NICB list as the city with the highest vehicle theft rate was Phoenix, Ariz. About three-hour's drive to the border, "it's a direct shot down into Mexico; it's an easy place to cross," said Ed Sparkman, an NICB representative.
Mr. Sparkman said Sacramento was new to the top 10 list this year, but that Phoenix had made it three years ago.
Of the top-10 metropolitan areas for vehicle theft, all are in or near ports and Canadian and Mexican borders, or within easy reach of them, noted NICB, which is based in Palos Hills, Ill.
The NICB's study analyzed 2001 vehicle theft rates of metropolitan statistical areas and vehicle theft data collected from the FBI. Metropolitan statistical areas, designated by the U.S. Census Bureau, include cities as well as communities in the surrounding area.
According to NICB, the 10 cities or metropolitan areas with the highest vehicle theft rates in 2001 were:
1). Phoenix, Ariz.
2). Miami, Fla.
3). Fresno, Calif.
4). Detroit, Mich.
5). Sacramento, Calif.
6). Tucson, Ariz.
7). Tacoma, Wash.
8). Stockton, Calif.
9). Seattle, Wash.
10). Jersey City, N.J.
FBI statistics, NICB said, show that the 10-year decline in auto theft rates has stopped, with an increase of 1.2 percent from 1999 to 2000.
Nearly 1.2 million vehicles, costing more than $7.5 billion, are stolen nationwide each year, with more than 30 percent never recovered, noted NICB.
Many of the unrecovered vehicles are shipped overseas or driven across international borders, according to NICB, which estimated that some 200,000 vehicles are illegally exported each year.
"The post-Sept. 11 redeployment of law enforcement from auto theft task forces has increased the need for consumers to take as many steps as possible to prevent their vehicles from being stolen," warned Robert M. Bryant, NICB president and chief executive officer.
The NICB recommends a layered approach to preventing car theft, with the number of layers depending on the vehicle and geographic location, budget and personal preference.
It recommended:
? Common sense (removing keys and locking doors).
? Visible and audible devices (steering wheel locks or alarms).
? Immobilizing devices (cut-off switches and fuel disablers)
? Tracking devices (that give police the location of a stolen vehicle.
"With auto theft increasing around the country, consumers everywhere should play a more active role in protecting their cars and trucks from theft, regardless of where they live," said Mr. Bryant.
The NICB vehicle theft rate is the number of vehicle thefts reported per 100,000 in population. Metropolitan statistical areas represent not only cities and adjacent metropolitan regions, but also broader areas. For example, the Chicago area includes not only the city of Chicago and Cook County, but eight surrounding counties as well.
NICB said that all 330 metropolitan statistical areas are listed on its Web site at www.nicb.org
The National Insurance Crime Bureau is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fighting insurance fraud and theft for the benefit of its customers and the public through information analysis, forecasting, criminal investigation support, training, and public awareness. The NICB is supported by approximately 1,000 property-casualty insurance companies.
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