Car thieves target California cities

By Anna Molin , Bay City News Service

May 9, 2006

Six of the top 10 metropolitan areas with the highest vehicle theft rates in 2005 are located in California; however, none are in the Bay Area, according to a report released today by the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

All of the top 10 metropolitan areas are located in the western U.S., with Modesto, Calif. topping the dubious list for the third year in a row. Oakland dropped off the list this year after holding onto a mid-level spot for at least three years.

The other California metropolitan areas with high auto theft rates include Stockton (No. 3), Visalia/Porterville (No. 5), Sacramento/Arden-Arcade/Roseville (No. 7), San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos (No. 8) and Fresno (No. 9).

Car thieves have been busy in Stockton, Visalia/Porterville, Sacramento, San Diego and Fresno for a few years, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, which has listed these metropolitan areas in the top 10 since 2003.

The auto theft rate is determined by the number of auto thefts per 100,000 residents in a "metropolitan statistical area" designated by the Office of Management and Budget, which recognizes 360 such areas nationwide.

The National Crime Information Center provides vehicle crime data from these areas, which is then reviewed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau and presented in its annual report on auto thefts, which is titled "Hot Spots."

Other such hot spots in 2005 were Las Vegas/Paradise, Nev., Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, Ariz., Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue, Wash., and Yakima, Wash.

Nationwide, vehicle theft rates continued to drop for the second year in a row, down 2.1 percent during January to June 2005 when compared to the same period in 2004.

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