Watercraft Theft Sinking, NICB Reports

Although boating season may be nearing an end in various parts of the country, some states enjoy year-round seasons. This means that owners and their insurers must practice due diligence in not only ensuring boating enthusiasts' personal safety but also in executing adequate theft prevention techniques.

The timing of the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)'s latest report detailing watercraft theft and recoveries in the United States seems opportune. The report, which was released today, incorporates incident data obtained from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) for all 50 states (in addition to the District of Columbia) for the time period ranging from January 1, 2009 to May 31, 2011.

The findings suggest that such thefts are sinking, as the 2010 numbers signified an 11-percent decrease from the previous year: there were 7,485 incidents in 2009 compared to 6,663 in 2010. Overall, the NICB report identified a total of 16,115 thefts for the designated timeframe. Of that number, 39 percent (or 6,343) watercrafts were recovered.

The NICB's overview of the states with the most rampant theft was somewhat reminiscent of the hotbeds for heavy equipment theft. Florida led the states with the most thefts followed by, in descending order, California, Texas, North Carolina, and Michigan. The states with the most recoveries were: Florida, California, Texas, Washington, and North Carolina (respectively).

Of the logged thefts where a boat type was specified, thieves preferred those falling into the “all other” category. For the purposes of this analysis, “all other” includes canoes, dinghies, dories, johnboats, kayaks, lifeboats, paddleboats, sculls, skiffs, and so on. Following “all others” on criminals must-steal list were jet-skis, runabouts, utilities, and cruisers (in descending order).

Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau