Auto Theft Still Fizzling, But Western Hotbeds Persist

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

The Des Plaines, Ill.-based organization will publish final numbers this fall but has already predicted that 2011 will show another consecutive year of declining vehicle thefts. Although four of the top 10 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) logged more thefts last year—an additional 925 collectively—the remaining six posted 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 examines vehicle theft data obtained by the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) for each of the nation's MSAs. Each report reflects vehicle thefts on a per capita basis. Thus, NICB notes an area with a much smaller population and a moderate number of thefts can—and often does—have a higher theft rate than an area with a much more significant vehicle theft problem and a larger population to absorb it.

Last week, the FBI released preliminary crime statistics indicating a 3.3-percent drop in vehicle thefts in 2011, from the 737,142 reported in 2010. Contributing to this decline was the significant drop in the rankings of the Laredo, Texas MSA—from Number 1 in 2009 to 53 in 2011. Within two years, Laredo's thefts declined from 1,792 in 2009 to 849 in 2011.

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

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