Vehicle thefts drop in California

The California Highway Patrol just issued a news release saying that the state's vehicle theft rate dropped 8% in 2007. Statewide there were 227,412 vehicles stolen last year. The CHP says they'll provide a county-by-county list of auto theft rates in California on Thursday.

This comes on the heels of the annual report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, which says that 2007 is likely to be on track to be the fourth straight year of declining auto theft in the United States.

Their list of the top 10 metro areas for auto theft are:

1.   Modesto, Calif.                                                    
2.   Las Vegas/Paradise, Nev.                                 
3.   San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos, Calif.             
4.   Stockton, Calif.                                                    
5.   San Francisco/Oakland/Fremont, Calif.             
6.   Laredo, Texas                                                       
7.   Albuquerque, N.M.                                             
8.   Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, Ariz.                           
9.   Yakima, Wash.                                                      
10. Tucson, Ariz.    

-- Steve Hymon

Comments

[BO2]

Steve,

Don't you mean "motor" vehicle thefts have dropped in California? I've heard there's been a big increase in bicycle thefts? Once again this points out a serious cultural bias we Americans have in only viewing the world through our windshields.

Bob