From its peak auto theft year in 1990 when 187,591 vehicles were stolen, New York has experienced a significant decline ending 2013 with 15,482 thefts. That’s a reduction of 92 percent since 1990, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
From 1965 through 1994, with the exception of 1986 when Texas was in second place, New York has ranked second to California as the state with the most annual vehicle thefts, according to NICB. That’s 29 years — 21 consecutively. But since then, no other state has enjoyed as dramatic a decline in thefts as New York.
NICB said New York vehicle thefts skyrocketed beginning in 1985 before peaking in 1990 and falling off precipitously — a downward trend that continued through 2013. Like other states, New York authorities employed some innovative law enforcement programs; among them the use of bait cars and license plate readers. In short, technology has had a huge positive impact, NICB said.
Not only is law enforcement exploiting technology, but auto manufacturers have been outfitting vehicles with more and more theft prevention products — from smart keys to immobilizers to tracking systems. So vehicles today are much harder to steal and that is good news for everyone who owns a vehicle, NICB said.
Source: The National Insurance Crime Bureau
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