The annual number of vehicle thefts in the United States surpassed one million for the first time since 2008, according to an analysis released Wednesday.
The metric constitutes a 7% increase between 2021 and 2022, according to an analysis of National Crime Information Center data by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The entity noted that monthly theft totals exceeded 75,000 last year.
“We are seeing vehicle theft numbers that we haven’t seen in nearly 15 years, and there is very little deterrent to stop criminals from committing these acts as they are just property crimes, like shoplifting,” National Insurance Crime Bureau President and CEO David Glawe said in a statement. “We must reinvest in local law enforcement, provide the necessary resources for prosecution and community policing programs, and implement early intervention programs given the high incidence of juvenile offenders involved in vehicle thefts.”
The states with the highest number of car thefts were…
