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Yuma 33rd in nation for car theft
BY JEFFREY GAUTREAUX, SUN STAFF WRITER
May 9, 2006


When it comes to car theft, Yuma ranked ahead of larger cities such as Miami, Chicago and Dallas on a per capita basis, according to a study released Monday.

Local law enforcement officials are not surprised.

Yuma was listed 33rd in the National Insurance Crime Bureau's car theft list, which reviewed National Crime Information Center data from 360 metropolitan areas across the country. Arizona has regularly been the number one state in the nation for vehicle theft.

Yuma County Sheriff's Capt. Eben Bratcher said geographic factors play an obvious role in Yuma's ranking. "We're always going to have some crime issues because of the proximity to Mexico," he said. "And that just speaks for the need for stronger border security."

The Phoenix metropolitan area was fourth on the list. Statistics showed that 41,000 vehicles were stolen in Phoenix, Mesa and Scottsdale in 2005, or one vehicle theft per 91 residents. Tucson was ranked 15th.

From Jan. 1 through the end of April, YCSO had received 70 stolen vehicle reports. Bratcher said about one in five was not actually an automobile but a motorcycle or all-terrain vehicle instead. The majority of stolen automobiles are trucks and sport-utility vehicles.

During the same time period, YCSO has recovered 38 vehicles that were stolen. "The vast majority are abandoned and have obviously been used in smuggling, either persons or narcotics," Bratcher said.

Since Jan. 1, Yuma Police have taken 238 reports of stolen vehicles. If that rate remains steady for the rest of the year, around 670 vehicles will have vanished from the streets of the city in 2006. In 2005, 591 vehicles were stolen in Yuma, and 530 were stolen in 2004.

"The pace has increased," said Lt. Mike Kohmetscher.

Kohmetscher said many of the reports are for trucks and SUVs, but he said this might simply be a reflection of the popularity of those vehicles in Yuma. He said 121 stolen vehicles have been recovered this year.

Officials with the Arizona Automobile Theft Authority, a state agency that works with law enforcement to educate motorists and deter vehicle theft, said the Phoenix metro area is ripe for car thieves because of the ever-growing population and proximity to the Mexican border and California seaports.

‘‘We’re just kind of in a precarious position,’’ said Ann Armstrong, a spokeswoman for the authority.

She said chop shops can easily sell parts year-round because of the weather and healthy supply of vehicles, and most of the vehicles are in good condition and rust-free.

Bratcher said YCSO has found chop shops in Yuma, but they are more prevalent across the border. One of the best ways to ensure one's vehicle is not cut up and sold for parts is Vehicle Identification Number etching. Engraving the VIN into the glass instantly cuts into the profit margin for selling it for parts.

YCSO has held many events in the past where free etching is offered. Bratcher said they are planning another such event for the near future.

Just about any security system can be defeated by a skilled car thief, so Bratcher said the best defense is having criminals skip past one's vehicle entirely. "You should make your vehicle harder to steal than the one next to it," he said.

The AATA recommends layers of protection, such as locking the doors, using locking devices, car alarms and tracking devices.

Kohmetscher said people should do anything they can that will deter thieves. "But the most important thing is to take the keys out and lock the door," he said.

Nationally, preliminary FBI data showed there was a 2.1 percent decrease in motor-vehicle thefts in the first half of 2005.