Modesto-Stockton-Lodi top NICB car theft Top Ten
08-24-2005, 02:44 AM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (7)
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Sacramento CA
Posts: 10,029
Car Info: 02 Impreza WRX sedan
Modesto-Stockton-Lodi top NICB car theft Top Ten
As reported at SFGate.com (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...AGDKEBP9H1.DTL
"The East Bay moved up a notch to No. 6 on an insurance industry list of the nation's top 10 auto-theft hot spots, joining six California cities on a roster that reflects the steady increase in the number of cars stolen in the Golden State each year.
Modesto topped the list for the second year in a row, with the Stockton- Lodi area and Sacramento placing ahead of the East Bay and Fresno coming in at No. 9, according to data released Monday by the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
California's dominance of the list is no surprise to the insurance industry and law officers, as auto thefts have climbed in the state during the past five years even as they've fallen 2.6 percent nationally last year, said Adam Cuevas, a deputy chief for the California Highway Patrol.
The state's many ports make it an attractive target for auto theft rings, officials said, because stolen vehicles can quickly and easily be whisked overseas. But 85 percent of the cars stolen each year are taken by criminals who use them in other crimes, Cuevas said.
"In other words, somebody takes the vehicle to do something else," he said. "It's not the professional car thieves that are going to chop up the vehicle or export it out of the state."
The rankings on the Insurance Crime Bureau's list are determined by the number of vehicle thefts per 100,000 residents.
The East Bay -- which includes Alameda and Contra Costa counties and is identified by the Insurance Crime Bureau as "Oakland" -- has steadily climbed since 2000, when it ranked 52nd. Last year it was No. 7.
But as in previous years, the Central Valley -- including Modesto, Stockton-Lodi, Sacramento and Fresno -- saw higher rates of auto theft than San Francisco, which ranked 22nd.
"We've worked very hard to address this," Cuevas said. "It certainly concerns us. We have done everything we can in our power, with our limited resources, to try and address the issue."
Because stolen cars often are used in other crimes, many local law enforcement agencies allow officers to chase stolen vehicles, treating auto theft as a serious offense instead of a mere property crime, authorities said. But that policy has occasionally led to injuries or deaths of innocent motorists, police acknowledge.
To combat car theft, the CHP and local police agencies work together on regional task forces, such as the Alameda County Regional Auto Theft Task Force. As an incentive to police, the CHP and AAA of Northern California sponsor the annual 10851 Award for those officers who recover the most stolen vehicles. The award is named after the vehicle code section addressing auto theft.
Cuevas said in most cases stolen cars are recovered.
"It's great that we get a lot of the vehicles back, but we need to stop the thefts from happening in the first place," he said.
Motorists should use common sense and use alarms or other devices that immobilize their vehicle, said Frank Scafidi, spokesman for the insurance bureau.
But no method is foolproof, Scafidi said. "No matter what you drive, no matter where you live, if a car thief wants your car, you could bury it in concrete and they're going to get it," he said."
--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...AGDKEBP9H1.DTL
"The East Bay moved up a notch to No. 6 on an insurance industry list of the nation's top 10 auto-theft hot spots, joining six California cities on a roster that reflects the steady increase in the number of cars stolen in the Golden State each year.
Modesto topped the list for the second year in a row, with the Stockton- Lodi area and Sacramento placing ahead of the East Bay and Fresno coming in at No. 9, according to data released Monday by the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
California's dominance of the list is no surprise to the insurance industry and law officers, as auto thefts have climbed in the state during the past five years even as they've fallen 2.6 percent nationally last year, said Adam Cuevas, a deputy chief for the California Highway Patrol.
The state's many ports make it an attractive target for auto theft rings, officials said, because stolen vehicles can quickly and easily be whisked overseas. But 85 percent of the cars stolen each year are taken by criminals who use them in other crimes, Cuevas said.
"In other words, somebody takes the vehicle to do something else," he said. "It's not the professional car thieves that are going to chop up the vehicle or export it out of the state."
The rankings on the Insurance Crime Bureau's list are determined by the number of vehicle thefts per 100,000 residents.
The East Bay -- which includes Alameda and Contra Costa counties and is identified by the Insurance Crime Bureau as "Oakland" -- has steadily climbed since 2000, when it ranked 52nd. Last year it was No. 7.
But as in previous years, the Central Valley -- including Modesto, Stockton-Lodi, Sacramento and Fresno -- saw higher rates of auto theft than San Francisco, which ranked 22nd.
"We've worked very hard to address this," Cuevas said. "It certainly concerns us. We have done everything we can in our power, with our limited resources, to try and address the issue."
Because stolen cars often are used in other crimes, many local law enforcement agencies allow officers to chase stolen vehicles, treating auto theft as a serious offense instead of a mere property crime, authorities said. But that policy has occasionally led to injuries or deaths of innocent motorists, police acknowledge.
To combat car theft, the CHP and local police agencies work together on regional task forces, such as the Alameda County Regional Auto Theft Task Force. As an incentive to police, the CHP and AAA of Northern California sponsor the annual 10851 Award for those officers who recover the most stolen vehicles. The award is named after the vehicle code section addressing auto theft.
Cuevas said in most cases stolen cars are recovered.
"It's great that we get a lot of the vehicles back, but we need to stop the thefts from happening in the first place," he said.
Motorists should use common sense and use alarms or other devices that immobilize their vehicle, said Frank Scafidi, spokesman for the insurance bureau.
But no method is foolproof, Scafidi said. "No matter what you drive, no matter where you live, if a car thief wants your car, you could bury it in concrete and they're going to get it," he said."
--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush
08-24-2005, 10:13 AM
#2
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Fremont
Posts: 277
Car Info: '05 STI
My car insurance went up 14% when I moved to Fremont from San Mateo. I have 1 ticket from 2 years ago that I didn't turn the traffic school paperwork in fast enough for, other than that I have a clean record. My '05 STI costs me about $190 a month now...which I really feel is ridiculous.
08-25-2005, 12:07 AM
#3
Originally Posted by jonp
My car insurance went up 14% when I moved to Fremont from San Mateo. I have 1 ticket from 2 years ago that I didn't turn the traffic school paperwork in fast enough for, other than that I have a clean record. My '05 STI costs me about $190 a month now...which I really feel is ridiculous.
you are a big baller...... so stop crying about it ....
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
streamline-jdm
Central Valley
127
07-21-2009 08:26 PM
mayhemsm
Bay Area
15
07-23-2006 01:22 AM
