The Federal Bureau of Investigation's quarter crime report revealed broad reductions across various crime categories, including a 26.4% drop in murders, a 17.8% decrease in robberies, and a 15.1% decrease in property crime. But our main interest is in car thefts.
Particularly notable was the reduction in vehicle thefts in cities with over one million residents, where thefts plummeted by 29%.
Smaller cities experienced varying levels of success in reducing vehicle thefts. Cities with populations between 500,000 and 999,999 saw an 11% decrease; those with 250,000 to 499,999 residents reported an 18% decline; and cities housing between 50,000 and 99,999 people noted a decrease of approximately 13%.
Regionally, the Midwest outperformed other areas with a remarkable reduction of 33% in motor vehicle thefts. This region includes states such as Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin among others. The Northeast followed with a solid 21% decrease while the West saw a decent drop of 19%. However, the South lagged behind substantially with only a modest reduction of about 7%.
Data for this comprehensive report were voluntarily submitted by approximately 13,719 law enforcement agencies out of a potential total of nearly 19,268 eligible agencies nationwide.
There's no word on what caused the drop in auto theft, but it's possible that efforts to secure vulnerable Hyundai and Kia vehicles may have played a role.
Source: FBI
