News
Release
October,
2002
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VEHICLE THEFT IN AMERICA
California, especially Southern California, has the highest
rate in the country for vehicle theft, followed by New York
City. In fact, Los Angeles leads the nation's cities in having
the largest number of vehicle thefts.
Top Ten Markets: Vehicle Thefts by U.S. Cities
Los Angeles 65,243
New York City 46,709
Philadelphia 30,355
Phoenix 29,863
Houston 28,263
Miami 20,977
San Bernardino 19,821
San Diego 18,685
Oakland 17,293
Not surprising, the most populous states have the highest incidence
of vehicle theft. Moreover, vehicle theft is higher in port
cities since vehicles can easily be shipped or driven across
borders and sold to foreign black markets.
In 1998, nearly 450,000 vehicles were stolen in either port
cities or cities in close proximity to international borders,according
to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
Vehicle Thefts by State
California
New York
Florida
Michigan
Texas
New Jersey
Illinois
In fact, government statistics indicate that vehicle theft,
while being one of the costliest property crimes in the U.S.,
is also rising.
In 2000, 1.6 million vehicles were stolen and that figure is
on the increase. In fact, the FBI reports that a vehicle is
stolen every 27 seconds in the U.S.
It is documented that vehicle thefts costs American consumers
more than $7.8 billion annually. This equates to an average
of $6,682 per stolen vehicle.
The Black Market: Vehicle theft plays out on a global
level. Newer vehicles tend to be shipped overseas whereas older
makes are stripped for their parts.
According to the NICB, "hundreds and thousands" of stolen U.S.
cars are shipped overseas or driven across the border to satisfy
the demand of export rings seeking American-made cars, trucks
and utility vehicles for developing countries.
Once stolen, the vehicle arrives at a chop shop, where in less
than an hour, the vehicle is stripped for its parts or is transported
across the border or shipped to a foreign country. According
to the NICB, chop shop operators typically make two to four
times a vehicle's actual worth by selling its parts separately.
Stolen parts are typically sold at 100 times their original
value on the black market, making vehicle theft, although risky,
certainly profitable.
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