Unemployment on the Horizon for Car Thieves

Over the past two years, auto thefts have fallen 20%. Most of the urban areas in the United States reported fewer burglaries. This did not just occur overnight, however. Since 1991, vehicle burglaries have been dropping steadily. There are a few reasons, though, for the sharp and significant decrease in the past year.

One reason car burglary has dropped is because of better anti-theft technology like LoJack and OnStar which help police track stolen vehicles. Other devices that help deter burglars include car alarms and steering-wheel disablers. Anything that makes the car look harder to steal, such as a steering-wheel lock, discourages thieves. Tinted windows and covered storage spaces further prevent tempting burglars. Drivers are also more aware and are taking the necessary precautions to protect their vehicles.

Also contributing to the decrease in car thefts is newer cars. Newer cars are harder to steal because most come with more sophisticated anti-theft security. For example, newer cars now have encrypted key codes. Before the ignition will start, it has to recognize the key’s code. This means that hot-wiring and forcing the key cylinder will be useless. The car will not start. OnStar also blocks engines from starting or can make a vehicle slow down at the request of the police.

Better law-enforcement tactics are also causing the reduction in car thefts. Police are using “bait cars” to catch regular car thieves. “Bait cars” have GPS tracking, remote engine-kill switches and video surveillance. Police are also using license-plate readers. A license-plate reader scans hundreds of plates to spot stolen cars.

Another reason less vehicles are being stolen may be because there is simply less crime. This could be due to a number of reasons including surveillance cameras, better policing, the aging population and military deployment overseas. As more thieves are jailed, fewer young people take their place.

Following is a list to illustrate just how much car theft has dropped over the year.

• Los Angeles: Dropped from 582 per 100,000 people to 443. Los Angeles is now in 42^nd place.
• New York: Fell from 197 per 100,000 to 156. New York ranks as 223^rd in the United States.
• Las Vegas: Sank from 1,035 per 100,000 to 563. Car thefts were nearly cut in half, but Las Vegas ranks at 9^th.
• San Francisco-Oakland: Dropped from 833 per 100,000 to 611 and is in 7^th place.

So what are the nation’s top ten auto theft capitals? Ranking number one is Laredo, Texas with 742 thefts per 100,000 residents. Laredo’s high ranking is due to its location. It is next to the Mexican border, and according to The Wall Street Journal, “Drug cartels are helping make the U.S.-Mexico border region a hot spot for vehicle thieves.” In 2007, Modesto, California claimed the number one ranking with 1,058 thefts per 100,000 people. Following is the nation’s top ten cities for car theft:

1. Laredo, Texas
2. Modesto, California
3. Bakersfield, California
4. Stockton, California
5. Fresno, California
6. Yakima, Washington
7. San Francisco-Oakland
8. Visalia-Porterville, California
9. Las Vegas-Paradise, Nevada
10. Albuquerque, New Mexico

Source:

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourCar/tough-times-for-auto-thieves.aspx