California tops top ten list for stolen cars

Calcutta News.Net
Tuesday 29th July, 2008

The National Insurance Crime Bureau has released its annual report identifying the stolen car hotspots in the US.

California has the highest rate of vehicle thefts.

In fact, four of the top 5 cities for auto theft are in California with Modesto ranking at number one. 5,358 car thefts were reported in Modesto in 2007.

Las Vegas is the only top five city which is not in California.

'One huge factor is that there are more vehicles in California than any other state, making it a target-rich environment to begin with,' said Frank Scafidi, a NICB spokesman.

Insurers say the proximity to international borders and seaports is another major factor in car theft because both are widely used in the illegal exportation of stolen vehicles.

The top ten cities are:

1. Modesto (California)
2. Las Vegas/Paradise (Nevada)
3. San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos (California)
4. Stockton (California)
5. San Francisco/Oakland/Fremont (California)
6. Laredo (Texas)
7. Albuquerque (New Mexico)
8. Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale (Arizona)
9. Yakima (Washington)
10. Tucson (Arizona)

Have your say on this story