Oklahoma gets No. 9 ranking for vehicle theft

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People in Oklahoma are more likely to have vehicles stolen than people are in other states, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

After an examination of national statistics compiled in 2021, the NICB reported this week that the Sooner State deserves a No. 9 ranking among states for vehicle theft.

There were 359.33 car thefts reported per 100,000 residents in the state in 2021. The number was down slightly from 371.28 thefts reported per 100,000 in 2020, but it was still high enough to rank the state as a “hot spot” for thefts.

Nationally, according to the Insurance Information Institute, citing FBI stats on theft, motor vehicles were stolen at a rate of 246.0 per 100,000 people in 2020.

Vehicle thefts have jumped nationwide in recent years. There were 932,329 reports of theft to law enforcement in 2021, a 6% increase over 2020 and a 17% increase over 2019.

Oklahoma’s neighbor to the northwest, Colorado, led the U.S. in car thefts per 100,000 residents last year, with a stunning 661.21 thefts reported, up from 502.12 reported in 2020 – an increase of 32%.

By sheer volume of thefts, California led the nation, with 200,524 vehicles stolen. The top five states for thefts by volume – California, Texas, Illinois, Florida, and Colorado – accounted for 412,008 thefts in 2021, or 44%, of all vehicle thefts nationwide.

Top 10 states (including Washington, D.C.) for thefts per 100,000 in 2021 included Colorado (661.21); Washington, D.C. (651); California (511.05); New Mexico (475.5); Oregon (471.16); Washington (461.91); Missouri (428.13); Nevada (426.75); Oklahoma (359.33); and Texas (320.04).

In addition to having the most overall thefts by volume, California was also home to the Metropolitan Statistical Area and Core-Based Statistical Area with the highest theft rate in the U.S., as Bakersfield had 1,024 thefts reported per 100,000 people. With a rate of 964.92 thefts per 100,000 people, the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro area in Colorado was second overall in theft rate. Other “hot spot” metro areas for theft included Pueblo, Colorado; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Portland, Oregon; San Francisco-Oakland; Billings, Montana; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Seattle-Tacoma, Washington; and Yuba City, California

Many vehicle thefts may amount to “crimes of opportunity” that result simply from leaving vehicles unlocked, sometimes even with keys in the ignition, the NICB said.

“NICB, along with our partners in law enforcement, are proactively working to prevent and deter vehicle theft, but vehicle owners can take simple steps to empower themselves,” NICB President and CEO David Glawe said. “No matter who you are or where you live, theft prevention starts with good security. Lock your doors and keep your keys with you at all times.”

Headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois, the NICB identifies as the nation’s leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to combating and preventing insurance crime through intelligence, analytics, education, and crime prevention. It is supported by more than 1,200 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations.