Types of Crime - Motor Vehicle Theft

The FBI defines motor vehicle theft as "the theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle." In 2002 just over 1.2 million cases of auto theft were reported in the United States. The number of motor vehicle thefts increased from the previous year, up by 1.4 percent from 2001. The rate of motor vehicle thefts was 432.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, up by 0.4 percent from 2001. The 2002 rate shows a decline of 6.0 percent from 1998, and 28.7 percent from 1993. (See Table 2.1.)

The highest rate of motor vehicle theft occurred in metropolitan areas (498.6 per 100,000 inhabitants). In cities outside metropolitan areas, the motor vehicle theft rate was 207.6 per 100,000 inhabitants, while rural counties had a rate of 132.8. (See Table 1.2 in Chapter 1.)

Losses

The total value of motor vehicles stolen in 2002 was approximately $8.4 billion. The average loss per vehicle was $6,701. Many stolen cars are recovered, and insurance covers a portion of the loss for most victims. Motor vehicle thefts in 2002 occurred most often in July, and were least likely to occur in February. (See Table 2.14.)

Types of Vehicles Stolen

Nearly three-quarters of all motor vehicles reported stolen in 2002 were automobiles. The Highway Loss Data Institute lists the make and series of cars for which the most theft claims are made. In mid-2002, the most frequent passenger vehicle theft claims among 1999–2001

TABLE 2.12
Percent distribution of robberies, by region and type of weapon used, 2002

		Armed
Region	Total all weapons*	Firearms	Knives or cutting instruments	Other weapons	Strongarm
Total	100.0	42.1	8.7	9.3	39.9
Northeast	100.0	34.0	10.8	8.3	46.9
Midwest	100.0	43.8	6.5	9.7	40.0
South	100.0	47.8	7.8	9.7	34.7
West	100.0	36.3	10.3	9.1	44.3
*Because of rounding, the percentages may not add to 100.0.
SOURCE: "Table 2.22: Robbery, Types of Weapons Used, by Region, Percent Distribution, 2002," in Crime in the United States 2002, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, DC, 2003

models were the Acura Integra, followed by the Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Cherokee 4WD, Honda Prelude, and Mitsubishi Mirage. Of passenger vehicles with the worst theft losses among 1999–2001 models, the Acura Integra ranked highest, followed by the BMW X5 4WD, Chevrolet Corvette, and the Lincoln Navigator 4WD.

Arrests

In 2002 law enforcement agencies reported that 13.8 percent of motor vehicle thefts were cleared by arrest. In many cases, the stolen vehicle was found abandoned, and no arrest was made. Young males most often committed motor vehicle theft. Males were 83.5 percent of those arrested. Some 63.8 percent of persons arrested for motor vehicle theft in 2002 were under 25 years of age, and 30.4 percent were under 18. Whites comprised 60.4 percent of those arrested and African-Americans comprised 36.5 percent.