San Francisco is top 1 among all cities in the United States in terms of per-capita car thefts, as stated by a recent report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau out of Des Plaines, IL.
Aside from San Francisco, California also houses six other cities that are considered by the “Hot Spots” report as among the ten most car theft-prone locations in the country.
The study noted that older cars are among the more frequent targets of theft because of their top-dollar parts, which are sold separately to illegal resellers and black market shops after being disassembled at chop shops. Newer cars, on the other hand, are usually sold whole with altered titles.
An increasing number of perpetrators are stealing flashy alloy wheels, according to Terri Miller, who serves as the executive director of anti-crime organization Help Eliminate Auto Thefts.
“Tires and rims are not marked (for identification) and they are very, very marketable,” Miller told Greater Media Newspapers.
The report advised vehicle owners to take reasonable precautions such as purchasing comprehensive auto insurance policies that take thefts into account, not leaving the keys inside the vehicle, ensuring that all doors are locked and alarms are engaged, and installing anti-theft devices like ignition kill switches.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau added that having your vehicle identification number etched onto the windshield and other major components would make it far more difficult for thieves to sell these as pristine replacement parts.
