Modesto ranks 5th in nation in auto thefts in 2014

The San Francisco Bay Area had the highest auto theft rate in the nation for the first time last year, surpassing even the Modesto region for that dubious honor, according to a report.

The Modesto Metropolitan Area – which encompasses Stanislaus County – ranked fifth in the nation in 2014. That follows rankings of third in 2013 and first in 2012. Modesto has been ranked No. 1 six times since 2004.

The Illinois-based National Insurance Crime Bureau released the 2014 auto theft rates Wednesday in its annual Hot Spots report, which tracked 380 metropolitan areas across the United States.

The Golden State continued to lead the nation in auto thefts per 100,000 residents and had seven of the 10 top hot spots, including Bakersfield at No. 2 and the Stockton-Lodi area at No. 3.

“California is the auto-theft capital of the world,” said Frank Scafidi, a Sacramento-based spokesman for the NICB. “There are more people and vehicles here than any place in the country. With a population that’s as big as what we have here, you get lots of good people and a lot of knuckleheads.”

Nationwide, vehicle thefts have declined every year but one since 2003, and the trend is expected to continue, Scafidi said. Better technology used by car manufacturers and law enforcement has contributed to the steady reduction in thefts.

The Modesto area had 3,047 auto thefts in 2014 for a rate of 573 thefts per 100,000 residents. There were 3,565 thefts in 2013 and 4,260 thefts in 2012. Auto thefts peaked in the Modesto Metropolitan Area in 2005 with 7,071 thefts. The San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward Metropolitan Area had a theft rate of 633 vehicles per 100,000 residents to rank No. 1 in 2014.

“Auto thefts are still unacceptably high,” Modesto Police Chief Galen Carroll said. “We still have a lot of work to do and auto theft this year is up 30 percent from last year.”

The total value of stolen vehicles in California last year was about $900 million, the California Highway Patrol said this month in a report. Statewide vehicle theft fell almost 7 percent in 2014 from the year before, the CHP said.

Drivers should park in well-lit areas and use alarms, kill switches and smart keys to prevent auto theft, the NICB said in a statement Wednesday. Tracking devices can also help law enforcement recover stolen cars.

The bureau is a not-for-profit organization funded by insurers that seeks to prevent and combat insurance fraud and other crimes. The Des Plaines, Ill.-based NICB uses data provided by law enforcement and the U.S. census to assemble its car-theft reports.

This story was originally published June 24, 2015 at 1:24 PM with the headline "Modesto ranks 5th in nation in auto thefts in 2014."