AUTO THEFT DECLINES FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR

Des Plaines, Ill.-based National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reported that preliminary FBI data shows a 2.1 percent decrease in motor vehicle thefts during January to June 2005 when compared with the same period in 2004. Nationally, this is the second straight year of decreases in vehicle theft.

“The continued reduction in auto thefts is good news for our member companies and the general public,” said NICB President and Chief Executive Officer Robert M. Bryant.

The NICB reports that for calendar year 2005, the West, and particularly California, leads the nation in auto theft. All of the nation’s top ten areas with the highest vehicle theft rates are in the West with six of them in California.

For 2005 the 10 metropolitan statistical areas with the highest vehicle theft rates are: 1. Modesto, Calif.; 2. Las Vegas/Paradise, Nev.; 3. Stockton, Calif.; 4. Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, Ariz.; 5. Visalia/Porterville, Calif.; 6. Seattle/Tacoma/ Bellevue, Wash.; 7. Sacra-mento/Arden-Arcade /Roseville, Calif.; 8. San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos, Calif.; 9. Fresno, Calif.; and 10. Yakima, Wash.

In the Midwest, some of the highest-ranking MSAs for auto thefts are: 16. Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich.; 26. Kansas City, Mo.-Kan.; 47. Toledo, Ohio; 54. Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio; 57. Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind.; 62. Columbus, Ohio; 66. Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa; 67. St. Louis, Mo.-Ill.; and 78. Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Ill.-Ind.-Wis.