Central Valley again ranks high in auto theft

Improved anti-theft technology and police bait cars have led to reduced car thefts nationally – but California's Central Valley cities of Sacramento, Fresno, Modesto and Stockton continue to be among the worst for stolen vehicles.

Sacramento ranked No. 6 on the list of top 10 cities for car thefts in the United States in 2010, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. In 2009, it ranked No. 11.

In the latest data, Fresno ranked No. 1, Modesto No. 2 and Stockton No. 7.

Auto thefts across the country dropped 7.2 percent between 2009 and 2010, the bureau reports.

Auto theft cases have been falling in the region, too, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. Several factors pushed Central Valley cities to the top of the list, according to Jeffery Farley, auto crimes enforcement detective.

In Sacramento, thieves typically steal a car to go across town before ditching it – a practice that police call "bus-ride theft."

"We are a big commuter area," Farley said, "so you almost need a vehicle to go places vs. using other types of transportation."

He also cited the Valley's disproportionate number of methamphetamine abusers who steal cars to pay for their habit.

"They talk about drugs being the victimless crime," Farley said, "but it's the crimes associated with that crime that have victims."

The overall decline in auto theft cases can be attributed to improved technologies, Farley said.

Car manufacturers have improved their anti-theft devices in the last decade. According to Frank Scafidi, spokesman for the bureau, the most frequently stolen cars are those made before 2000.

"In all brands and all models, the security is better than it has ever been," Scafidi said. "They're just harder to steal."

Technologies like OnStar and police-operated license plate readers help to recover stolen cars.

In recent years, police departments started using bait cars to trap thieves and get them off the street, preventing future crimes.

Bait cars are equipped with video- and audio-recording devices that allow police to monitor a theft in progress.

The specially equipped vehicle lets police stop the car and lock the thieves inside.

Such tactics have helped Sacramento-area police drive up recovery rates.

Farley said that of the 9,513 cars stolen in the county in 2010, 8,900 of them were recovered – more than nine of every 10 cars.

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