No. 1 in auto theft: Las Vegas

Insurance crime group reports that Western states still lead the nation in car theft.

By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com staff writer

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Las Vegas has the highest rate of auto theft per capita of any metropolitan area in the country, according to data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Western states still lead the nation in auto theft rates, according to the NICB. All of the top ten metro areas by per capita auto theft rates are in western states. Half of the top ten metro areas are in California. (See the Top 10 list below.)

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Modesto, Calif., which had topped the ranking for the past three years, saw the number of car thefts there plummet by almost 30 percent last year compared to 2005. Modesto ranked fifth last year in auto thefts per 100,000 population, according to the NICB.

Auto thefts in Las Vegas, which had previously ranked second to Modesto, declined only slightly.

Based on preliminary FBI data, auto thefts in the early part of 2006 were trending downward nationally for the third year in a row, according to the NICB.

The NICB metro area rankings are based on full-year figures from the National Crime Information Center for 2006. The NICB data ranks all 361 metropolitan areas in the United States.

'Green' concept cars of 2007

The drop in auto thefts in the Modesto area was achieved through various programs including the use of "bait cars," vehicles that are deliberately left vulnerable by police in order to catch car thieves in action.

In Modesto, bait cars are equipped with video and audio recorders and satellite tracking devices, said Lt. Jeff Morris of the California Highway Patrol. Morris is in charge of the Modesto area's auto theft task force. Police cars set up to follow the bait cars have remote control equipment allowing them to lock the doors and shut off the engines of the bait cars, said Morris.

"These cutting-edge enforcement tools offer law enforcement the latest in high-tech crime fighting, and are partly responsible for the absolutely outstanding results achieved in Modesto," said NICB President Robert Bryant in an announcement.

Meanwhile, Modesto prosecutors increased bail requests for first-time auto theft defendants and went after repeat offenders more aggressively, said NICB spokesman Frank Scafidi.

The local Modesto newspaper also published photos of those arrested for auto theft as a weekly feature, said Morris.

Las Vegas is now employing some of same tactics and has seen the number of auto thefts there decline 22 percent so far this year compared to last year, said Lt. Robert Duvall of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Duvall is in charge of the auto theft test force there.

Because it's so recent, that decline would not be reflected in these rankings, Duvall added. Also, the population figures used by the NICB do not reflect the Las Vegas area's large tourist population, he said.

The NICB recommends car owners take basic steps to avoid having their cars stolen. Those steps include never leaving keys in the car, locking the car and using a visible anti-theft device such as a steering wheel lock. Vehicles can also be equipped with devices that prevent thieves from starting the vehicle without a key and devices that allow for remote tracking of the vehicle if it is stolen.

Top ten metro areas by per capita auto theft rate

  1. Las Vegas/Paradise, Nev.
  2. Stockton, Calif
  3. Visalia/Porterville, Calif.
  4. Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, Ariz.
  5. Modesto, Calif.
  6. Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue, Wash.
  7. Sacramento/Arden-Arcade/Roseville, Calif.
  8. Fresno, Calif.
  9. Yakima, Wash.
  10. Tucson, Ariz.

Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau
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Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.