Car Thefts Drop to 20-Year Low
Better technology, police programs make it tough for car thieves
By KEVIN COKELY
Updated 7:47 PM CST, Mon, Oct 19, 2009
Think times are tough? Try being a car thief.
Vehicle thefts are at historic lows. The experts credit both technology and police programs aimed at stopping car thieves before they take your wheels.
The FBI reports vehicle thefts in 2008 dropped to just 956,846 across the country. That's just 315 cars for every 100,000 people -- half the rate reported in 1991, even as the number of vehicles on the road has doubled.
North Texas police report similar trends.
In Tarrant County alone, the number dropped from 19,411 in 1991 to 5,694 in 2008. For the first eight months of this year, Tarrant and six other counties (Johnson, Palo Pinto, Somervell, Wise and Jack) report a 17.2 percent decrease in auto theft compared to the same period last year.
So even if you can't seem to find your car in the parking lot, keep looking. It's probably still there somewhere.
First Published: Oct 19, 2009 5:31 PM CST
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