Calif. cities dominate insurers' list for auto theft
08-23-05, 07:06 AM
#1
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Calif. cities dominate insurers' list for auto theft
By Toni Locy, USA TODAY
California is the nation's stolen car capital, according to an insurance industry report to be released Tuesday.
Seven of the nation's Top 10 metropolitan areas with the highest auto theft rates for 2004 are in California. Five of those are in the Central Valley, the heart of the state's agriculture production and, increasingly, home to methamphetamine manufacturers and abusers, says William Ruzzamenti, director of the Central Valley High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program.
The Modesto metropolitan area tops the list for the second year in a row, says the National Insurance Crime Bureau, a non-profit fraud investigation service funded by insurance companies. The NICB analyzed data collected by the FBI for each of the nation's 336 metropolitan statistical areas.
Car theft dropped 2.6% nationally in 2004. The decrease comes after four years of rising auto theft figures, according to the NICB.
The group found that the number of vehicle thefts per 100,000 people increased in the Stockton-Lodi area of California, moving it into second place in 2004 from third in 2003.
Three other Central Valley communities dominate the NICB's 2004 Top 10: Sacramento in fifth place; Visalia-Tulare-Porterville in seventh place, up from 15th place in 2003; and Fresno in ninth place.
Elsewhere, Detroit dropped to 15th from 10th place, and Miami fell to 13th from 8th place in 2003.
Ruzzamenti says he does not have any data to prove the connection between methamphetamine and auto theft. But he says drug abuse fuels crime such as auto theft, and the high auto-theft rates are occurring in California communities where methamphetamine trafficking is prevalent. The High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas are designated by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
TOP 10 HOT SPOTS FOR CAR THEFT
Seven of the country's 10 areas with the highest vehicle-theft rates are in California. The top 10 in 2004 and their 2003 rank:
2004 rank Area 2003 rank
1 Modesto, Calif. 1
2 Stockton-Lodi, Calif. 3
3 Las Vegas 4
4 Phoenix-Mesa 2
5 Sacramento 5
6 Oakland 7
7 Visalia-Tulare-Porterville, Calif. 15
8 San Diego 9
9 Fresno, Calif. 6
10 Seattle-Bellevue-Everett 11
Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau For more rankings, go to www.nicb.org
"In all of the communities where there is a significant meth problem, there is a significant auto theft problem," Ruzzamenti says. Thieves "grab the most common and easy thing that they know: They steal cars."
California Highway Patrol Lt. Jeff Morris agrees. In modest-income, agricultural areas such as Modesto, thieves favor cars manufactured in the late 1980s and 1990s, says Morris, who heads the Stanislaus County Auto Theft Task Force.
In the Modesto area, he says, 94% of the cars are recovered — usually stripped of their stereos, wheels and whatever valuables were in the glove compartment.
"Most of them (car thieves) are not looking to take the car to a chop shop," Morris says. "They take the car around the corner, grab the change, take the stereo and the wheels and just let it go."
Morris says that the task force has had success using "bait" vehicles to catch car thieves, but the public needs to be more security-conscious about cars.
He says car thefts could be reduced significantly if people stopped leaving their keys in their cars and leaving their vehicles running while they make a quick stop at the store.
Morris says such habits are hard to break. "It's the small-town mentality," he says.
Another way to curb thefts is for motorists to install tracking devices, which emit a signal to police if a vehicle is stolen, the insurance bureau says.
source : usatoday
California is the nation's stolen car capital, according to an insurance industry report to be released Tuesday.
Seven of the nation's Top 10 metropolitan areas with the highest auto theft rates for 2004 are in California. Five of those are in the Central Valley, the heart of the state's agriculture production and, increasingly, home to methamphetamine manufacturers and abusers, says William Ruzzamenti, director of the Central Valley High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program.
The Modesto metropolitan area tops the list for the second year in a row, says the National Insurance Crime Bureau, a non-profit fraud investigation service funded by insurance companies. The NICB analyzed data collected by the FBI for each of the nation's 336 metropolitan statistical areas.
Car theft dropped 2.6% nationally in 2004. The decrease comes after four years of rising auto theft figures, according to the NICB.
The group found that the number of vehicle thefts per 100,000 people increased in the Stockton-Lodi area of California, moving it into second place in 2004 from third in 2003.
Three other Central Valley communities dominate the NICB's 2004 Top 10: Sacramento in fifth place; Visalia-Tulare-Porterville in seventh place, up from 15th place in 2003; and Fresno in ninth place.
Elsewhere, Detroit dropped to 15th from 10th place, and Miami fell to 13th from 8th place in 2003.
Ruzzamenti says he does not have any data to prove the connection between methamphetamine and auto theft. But he says drug abuse fuels crime such as auto theft, and the high auto-theft rates are occurring in California communities where methamphetamine trafficking is prevalent. The High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas are designated by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
TOP 10 HOT SPOTS FOR CAR THEFT
Seven of the country's 10 areas with the highest vehicle-theft rates are in California. The top 10 in 2004 and their 2003 rank:
2004 rank Area 2003 rank
1 Modesto, Calif. 1
2 Stockton-Lodi, Calif. 3
3 Las Vegas 4
4 Phoenix-Mesa 2
5 Sacramento 5
6 Oakland 7
7 Visalia-Tulare-Porterville, Calif. 15
8 San Diego 9
9 Fresno, Calif. 6
10 Seattle-Bellevue-Everett 11
Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau For more rankings, go to www.nicb.org
"In all of the communities where there is a significant meth problem, there is a significant auto theft problem," Ruzzamenti says. Thieves "grab the most common and easy thing that they know: They steal cars."
California Highway Patrol Lt. Jeff Morris agrees. In modest-income, agricultural areas such as Modesto, thieves favor cars manufactured in the late 1980s and 1990s, says Morris, who heads the Stanislaus County Auto Theft Task Force.
In the Modesto area, he says, 94% of the cars are recovered — usually stripped of their stereos, wheels and whatever valuables were in the glove compartment.
"Most of them (car thieves) are not looking to take the car to a chop shop," Morris says. "They take the car around the corner, grab the change, take the stereo and the wheels and just let it go."
Morris says that the task force has had success using "bait" vehicles to catch car thieves, but the public needs to be more security-conscious about cars.
He says car thefts could be reduced significantly if people stopped leaving their keys in their cars and leaving their vehicles running while they make a quick stop at the store.
Morris says such habits are hard to break. "It's the small-town mentality," he says.
Another way to curb thefts is for motorists to install tracking devices, which emit a signal to police if a vehicle is stolen, the insurance bureau says.
source : usatoday
08-23-05, 11:14 AM
#4
Lexus Fanatic
Interesting. I would have guessed New York City as the country's stolen-car capital.
However, I can see California being way up there simply because of its huge population, proximity to Mexico, and the fact that many stolen vehicles...especially SUV's.....end up south of the border if they are not chopped up for parts.
The demand in Latin America for stolen, off-road-capable SUV's is quite high because of the region's poor roads, low income, and need for hauling things. People who cannot afford new vehicles of this type often buy them on the black market for stolen vehicles....many of which come from the U.S. I think the article really underplayed the extent of this market and how significant it is.
However, I can see California being way up there simply because of its huge population, proximity to Mexico, and the fact that many stolen vehicles...especially SUV's.....end up south of the border if they are not chopped up for parts.
The demand in Latin America for stolen, off-road-capable SUV's is quite high because of the region's poor roads, low income, and need for hauling things. People who cannot afford new vehicles of this type often buy them on the black market for stolen vehicles....many of which come from the U.S. I think the article really underplayed the extent of this market and how significant it is.
Last edited by mmarshall; 08-23-05 at 11:27 AM.
08-23-05, 02:58 PM
#5
Lexus Champion
Originally Posted by mmarshall
However, I can see California being way up there simply because of its huge population, proximity to Mexico, and the fact that many stolen vehicles...especially SUV's.....end up south of the border if they are not chopped up for parts.
08-23-05, 03:42 PM
#6
Lexus Fanatic
Originally Posted by INHOCJP
Thanks for the comforting thought...I live in La Jolla/San Diego
.........the chances of any one SPECIFIC vehicle, yours included....even those in the high-risk category like 90's vintage Camrys and Accords and in high-risk places like CA, being stolen, of course, is quite small. It is like the risk of being struck by lightning....and CA does not have very many thunderstorms.
08-23-05, 04:00 PM
#7
Lexus Champion
Originally Posted by mmarshall
Well, here IS a comforting thought......... .........the chances of any one SPECIFIC vehicle, yours included....even those in the high-risk category like 90's vintage Camrys and Accords and in high-risk places like CA, being stolen, of course, is quite small. It is like the risk of being struck by lightning....and CA does not have very many thunderstorms.
.........the chances of any one SPECIFIC vehicle, yours included....even those in the high-risk category like 90's vintage Camrys and Accords and in high-risk places like CA, being stolen, of course, is quite small. It is like the risk of being struck by lightning....and CA does not have very many thunderstorms.
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08-24-05, 10:20 AM
#8
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Originally Posted by mmarshall
Interesting. I would have guessed New York City as the country's stolen-car capital.
However, I can see California being way up there simply because of its huge population, proximity to Mexico, and the fact that many stolen vehicles...especially SUV's.....end up south of the border if they are not chopped up for parts.
The demand in Latin America for stolen, off-road-capable SUV's is quite high because of the region's poor roads, low income, and need for hauling things. People who cannot afford new vehicles of this type often buy them on the black market for stolen vehicles....many of which come from the U.S. I think the article really underplayed the extent of this market and how significant it is.
However, I can see California being way up there simply because of its huge population, proximity to Mexico, and the fact that many stolen vehicles...especially SUV's.....end up south of the border if they are not chopped up for parts.
The demand in Latin America for stolen, off-road-capable SUV's is quite high because of the region's poor roads, low income, and need for hauling things. People who cannot afford new vehicles of this type often buy them on the black market for stolen vehicles....many of which come from the U.S. I think the article really underplayed the extent of this market and how significant it is.
08-24-05, 06:26 PM
#9
Lexus Fanatic
Originally Posted by lkirchner
You sound just like Ahhnold the Governator; Close the borders.
And even if the borders WERE closed.....which is not going to happen with Bush.......car thieves would just figure out other ways of getting stolen vehicles around them.....cargo boats, stealth-painted aircraft, etc....... We can't ( or won't ) patrol every inch of coastline or airspace.
Last edited by mmarshall; 08-24-05 at 06:32 PM.
08-24-05, 07:01 PM
#11
Lexus Fanatic
Originally Posted by Vegassc400
Ugh. Vegas is #3. Thankfully I live in a guarded gated community. I just have to be careful when I'm out and about.
Yeah......people lose their shirts in the casinos and then have to steal a car just to get to the airport to go back home.
08-24-05, 11:04 PM
#12
Driver School Candidate
I live in Frisco (not San Fransico) and this is somewhat off topic but the part about leaving the keys in the car reminded me of something my AP Us History told us about today. He said about 10 years ago, Frisco was filled with alot of well, houses of ill repute disguised as massage shops and, it was such a small town that everyone knew everyone and people would leave their keys in their car and so when someone did that, someone would take your car and park it in front of one of the "houses of ill repute" and then everyone would think you went there and your reputation would be messed up. Wow, that was one of my most almost off-topic posts in any form ever, but still a good story.
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