Vehicle Theft Prevention

• April 16th, 2019

July is National Theft Prevention Month

Motor vehicles are the primary mode of transportation for most of us, and often, an indispensable part of our lives. But what would happen if yours suddenly disappeared? Vehicle theft is a very expensive crime, with the cost of stolen vehicles pegged at more than $5.9 billion – that’s billion with a “B”.

• There were an estimated 773,139 thefts of motor vehicles nationwide in 2017.
• The estimated rate of motor vehicle thefts was 237.4 per 100,000 inhabitants.
• The estimated number of motor vehicle thefts increased 0.8% in 2017 when compared with the 2016 estimates and rose 10.4% when compared with the 2013 estimates, but dropped 19.4% when compared with the 2008 estimates.
• Nearly $6 billion was lost nationwide to motor vehicle thefts in 2017. The average dollar loss per stolen vehicle was $7,708.
• In 2017, of all motor vehicles stolen, 75.4 percent were automobiles.

These materials are for use every day of the year. Use these safety tools to educate your community on the dangers of vehicle theft and how to keep themselves safe.