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California #1 in Car Thefts


PHOTO

Washington DC April 22, 2008; The AIADA newsletter reported that according to a report issued by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Modesto, Calif. tops the charts for the highest rate of auto theft per capita in 2007.

Preliminary FBI crime data signals that nationally vehicle thefts dropped 7.4 percent in 2007 - marking the fourth consecutive year of declining vehicle thefts. Western states continue to take the top spots when it comes to auto theft rates, according to CNN.

In 2007, four out of the top 10 metro areas with the highest vehicle theft rates were in California. The final number of thefts for 2007 has not been released yet, but in 2006 Californians lost 242,693 cars. Texans, which came in a distant second for stolen cars, lost 95,429 cars.

Most of the cities that are seeing high theft rates are near the nation's border with Mexico, a fact that can make it tricky for authorities to recover the vehicles. "Once it is Mexico or Canada, then you are dealing with another country and you can't go in there and route around," said Frank Scafidi, spokesman for NICB.

Top 10 metro areas by per capita auto theft rate for 2007

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.  

NCIB April 22, 2008