A Historical Analysis of Vehicle Theft in Massachusetts 1960 - 2013

Thefts are Down 90 Percent from Their Peak

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Dec 16, 2014, 06:00 ET

DES PLAINES, Ill., Dec. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) today released a historic look at vehicle theft in Massachusetts. From its peak auto theft year in 1975 when 91,563 vehicles were stolen, Massachusetts has experienced a significant decline ending 2013 with 9,122 thefts. That's a reduction of 90 percent since 1975.

Massachusetts had dramatic increases in vehicle thefts beginning in 1960 and continuing through 1975 when they reached their peak. A declining trend started in 1976 and thefts have decreased just as dramatically before leveling off in the mid-1980s. In 1994 another downward trend began that continued through 2013. Like other states, Massachusetts authorities employed some innovative law enforcement programs, among them the use of bait cars and license plate readers. In short, technology has had a huge positive impact.

Not only is law enforcement exploiting technology but auto manufacturers have been outfitting vehicles with more and more theft prevention products—from smart keys to immobilizers to tracking systems. So vehicles today are much harder to steal and that is good news for everyone who owns a vehicle.

Even though auto theft is affecting fewer people these days, if you are one of its unfortunate victims, it can be a real hassle recovering from the loss. That is why NICB consistently reminds people to take precautions against vehicle theft and to follow its "layers of protection."

See the full Massachusetts report here.

Anyone with information concerning insurance fraud or vehicle theft can report it anonymously by calling toll-free 800-TEL-NICB (800-835-6422), texting keyword "fraud" to TIP411 (847411) or submitting a form on our website. Or, download the NICB Fraud Tips app on your iPhone or Android device.

About the National Insurance Crime Bureau: headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., the NICB is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to preventing, detecting and defeating insurance fraud and vehicle theft through data analytics, investigations, training, legislative advocacy and public awareness. The NICB is supported by more than 1,100 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. NICB member companies wrote $371 billion in insurance premiums in 2013, or more than 78 percent of the nation's property/casualty insurance. That includes more than 93 percent ($168 billion) of the nation's personal auto insurance. To learn more visit www.nicb.org.

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SOURCE National Insurance Crime Bureau