FBI's Uniform Crime Report Details Vehicle Theft Trend Watch

While the FBI's newly released Uniform Crime Report indicated that vehicle theft in the U.S. decreased again for the year, a close look at the numbers reveals several troubling trends including the lowest national recovery rate of stolen vehicles since 1981 and significant vehicle theft increases in several states and MSAs (Metropolitan Statistical Areas).

According to vehicle theft protection company LoJack Corporation, one of the biggest continuing trends is that the percentage of vehicles stolen and recovered has dropped to a 30-year low – this time by a full four percentage points -- to only 52 percent. With this drop, nearly half of the vehicles stolen in 2011 were never returned to their owners – amounting to 371,800 vehicles. The four percentage point drop represents the largest year-over-year decline since 2000.

Other noteworthy vehicle theft facts revealed in the report include:

A full twenty-two states had year-over-year increases in vehicle theft in 2011 vs. only twelve states in 2010; that's an 83 percent increase in the total number of states which experienced an increase in vehicle theft
Nearly forty percent of MSAs had year-over-year increases in vehicle theft in 2011 vs. 23 percent in 2010; that's a 74 percent increase in the number of MSAs with rising vehicle theft rates
Many MSAs with rising vehicle theft rates are home to international shipping ports (e.g. San Francisco, CA; Savannah, GA; and Bridgeport, CT), where stolen cars can be hidden in steel containers and shipped overseas
Among the MSAs with rising vehicle theft rates, many are within 250 miles of San Francisco's international port, including Chico, Merced, Napa, Redding, Salinas, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, and Yuba City
One-third of all vehicle thefts in the U.S. occurred in the four states bordering Mexico (California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas)

Vehicle owners should follow the theft protection tips outlined below to help keep their vehicles safe from today's criminals:

Use Common Sense:

Be careful where you park your car and to whom you entrust your vehicle
Never leave a key or key fob in the vehicle
Close all windows; lock all doors
Park in a well-lit area to deter thieves from doing their dirty work
When at home, park in the garage
When you use valet services, make sure they are reputable (many thieves pose as valets and simply drive off with your car)
Hide all valuables, as they entice thieves to take your car – and what's inside
Never program your home address as "home" in your GPS navigation system – it's an easy way for a thief to find your house, gain access to it, and burglarize it