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Special Reports - Auto Theft 10-05

Wednesday, Apr. 25, 2007

Honk if you don't like stats

Officials: Meth addiction, good weather contributed to region's car theft record

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In the battle against auto theft, Stanislaus County has made huge strides in the past year and a half.

But can the rest of the Central Valley follow the example set here?

There were 5,083 auto thefts countywide last year — a 28 percent drop from the 7,071 thefts in 2005, according to National Insurance Crime Bureau statistics. Statewide, auto thefts dropped by 5.5 percent.

The NICB released its annual rankings of the country's car theft hot spots Tuesday at a news conference at the Modesto Police Department.

Las Vegas was the new No. 1. The Modesto area — encompassing all of Stanislaus County — fell from the top spot, which it held three years in a row, to No. 5.

Despite the local dropoff, the Central Valley still is plagued by some of the highest rates in the country.

Five of the top 10 on the NICB's rankings are in the Central Valley: Stockton (second), Visalia-Porterville (third), Sacramento (seventh) and Fresno (eighth).

Modesto Police Chief Roy Wasden and other law enforcement officials theorized as to why the valley has so many car thefts:

Good weather. With little snow and no salt on the roadways, cars last longer, meaning easy-to-steal late '80s to mid-90s Hondas and Saturns are still around.

Methamphetamine addiction. In the valley, it is an epidemic, officials said, and most property crimes are committed by addicts looking for their next score.

California Highway Patrol Lt. Jeff Morris, commander of the Stanislaus County Auto Theft Task Force, said stolen vehicle recovery rates nationwide are about 65 percent. In Stanislaus County, 90 percent to 95 percent of all stolen cars are recovered, suggesting that cars are not stolen and dismantled in chop shops, but for small parts such as stereos and tires that can be sold easily, he said.

Morris added that a new trend is car theft leading to identity theft. Thieves will steal a car just to steal the owner's personal documents.

Negligent car owners. The Central Valley used to be a network of small farming communities. Today, the area is expanding into larger cities, but some people are slow to wake up to the growing reality of big-city crime, police believe. So locals leave their cars unlocked, keys in the ignition, and the engine running and unattended in their driveways or in front of stores.

Wasden and District Attorney Birgit Fladager said law enforcement statewide shares information and tips on trends and tactics.

Wasden said he would like to expand that level of collaboration by forming a valleywide auto theft task force.

"(Auto theft) is a problem for the whole Central Valley," he said. "That message is not lost on us."

Fladager agreed but said limited local resources make a valleywide effort unlikely.

"I don't know if that's going to happen," she said. "Focusing on just our county takes all of our resources."

Bee staff writer Chris Togneri can be reached at ctogneri@modbee.com or 578-2324.