https://www.compare.com/auto-insurance/resources/vehicle-theft-and-break-insThe District had the fifth-highest number of vehicle break-ins and thefts among U.S. cities last year, according to a new study from the auto insurance website Compare.com.
Topping the 2020 list of most car thefts and break-ins are Denver, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Austin, Texas.
“It’s easy to get comfortable and think that vehicle theft and break-ins are only a big problem in cities like Chicago and NYC, but surprisingly, they had some of the lowest numbers last year among the largest cities analyzed,” Compare.com CEO Allie Feakins told The Washington Times.
The insurance website used open data websites to analyze 18 of the 25 largest U.S. cities and found that the District tallied 11,525 break-ins and thefts from vehicles and 1,671 auto thefts per 100,000 residents last year.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, which excludes “unrest-related burglaries” from its tallies, D.C. auto thefts this year already exceed last year’s numbers.
As of Monday, the MPD’s online crime statistics reported 2,999 vehicle thefts and 7,340 thefts from cars in 2021. Motor vehicle thefts are up by 11% and thefts from automobiles by 5%, according to the department website.
Car owners should always lock their doors, be aware of their surroundings, keep track of their keys, never leave the keys in a car with the engine running and call 911 immediately if victimized, the police department said Monday in an email.
“With regards to trends in carjackings, we have noticed that a large number of these crimes are committed by young teenagers (13- to 16-year-olds) and the vehicles are often used to commit other crimes such as robberies and shootings,” the MPD statement reads. “With the prevalence of more delivery drivers on the road due to the pandemic, this provides more opportunities for them to become victims of carjackings.”
The FBI’s most recent Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) auto crimes data comes from 2019, when it reported that the District had 2,298 auto thefts. That number rose to 8,270 thefts for the greater metropolitan area in 2019, when it added the Maryland and Virginia suburbs.
The Compare.com study found November to be the worst month for car thefts in 2020, signaling the current month as a particularly dangerous time for car owners. July to December was the worst time last year for car crimes.
From week to week, Mondays were the worst day for car owners, with more than 20,000 total crimes, and Sundays had the fewest incidents — just under 19,000 crimes.
Compare.com’s Ms. Feakins said “it’s a good reminder to take precautions such as locking all doors, not leaving valuables inside your car, parking in well-lit areas whenever possible, and never leaving it running and unattended.”
• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.