Phoenix Reports Highest Rate of Car Thefts in Nation

Based on FBI statistics, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) said the Phoenix area reported 979 auto thefts for every 100,000 of its residents last year–the worst rate in the nation. Phoenix is the nation’s sixth-largest city, with more than 1.3 million residents. The rate of cars stolen in Phoenix is so high, with two reported missing every hour last year, that officers stopped taking reports in person. Victims are now referred to a call line instead. Officers say they cannot pinpoint any one cause.

Since Arizona is a border state, many stolen cars end up in Mexico. About two-thirds of the 25 metropolitan areas with the highest rates of vehicle theft in 2000 were at or near U.S. borders, reflecting a thriving international trade for pilfered autos, the NICB said. In some cases, thieves steal pickup trucks and large vehicles to carry illegal immigrants who have been smuggled into the country.

According to Paul Mortensen, director of the Arizona Auto Theft Authority, because Phoenix has good weather and expensive cars, it makes the city a target for car thieves. Police believe they can combat some of the thefts by raising awareness.

Thieves are not choosy. Autos are frequently taken by joy riders, which means some areas have good recovery rates.