 In
calendar year 1993, California led the nation with 313,804 vehicle thefts,
or 21% of the national total. Southern California accounted for more
than 62% of the state's total. Orange County accounted for 10.4%
of the 62%, or 20,145 vehicles stolen. The loss to Orange County
victims and insurance companies was over $100,000,000.00.
In calendar year 2011, there were 6,344 thefts of motor
vehicles in Orange County compared to 6,356 thefts of motor vehicles in
Orange County in 2010. This represents only 4% of the statewide auto
theft total of 156,796 vehicles. It should be noted that 7.92% of
all the vehicles registered in the State of California are registered in
Orange County.
In June 2011, the Orange County Auto Theft Task Force
(OCATT) completed its eighteenth year of operation, combating the incidence
of auto theft by professional criminals in Orange County and throughout
the southern California region.
During the 18-year period, OCATT investigators arrested
1,046 suspects involved in the theft, renumbering or otherwise disguising,
and sale of stolen motor vehicles. Investigators also recovered over
4,925 motor vehicles with a value of approximately $78,013,663.00.
The mode of thefts of automobiles has also changed
during the past eighteen years. In 1993, when the Task Force began,
it was common for the professional auto thief to be a one or two man operation.
The same suspects would steal the vehicle(s), change the Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN) and arrange for the vehicles’ disposition. Often times,
OCATT investigators would break up a 20-car ring and only arrest a couple
of individuals. Today, as in society, everyone is a specialist.
In the auto theft world, now one or a crew of individuals steal the automobile,
others renumber it, others arrange false paperwork, and still someone else
arranges the sale of the stolen vehicle to innocent purchasers. Theft
by fraud and insurance fraud has also become more prevalent in recent years.
The advancements in technology over the past eighteen
years have not gone unnoticed by the professional auto thief. Today,
auto thieves are using the Internet and other computer sources to create
false identities or obtain information on real citizens and commit identity
theft. These innocent parties’ identities are used to purchase new
vehicles, rent vehicles and register stolen vehicles.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office provides
one dedicated full-time Deputy District Attorney who is assigned to the
task force. The attorney is committed to aggressively prosecuting
the professional vehicle thief and those who commit insurance fraud that
the task force has targeted. The use of “straight lined,” “vertical”
prosecution has proven highly successful.
As the professional criminals’ tools and modus operandi
change, OCATT continues to change and develop new tools and training to
pursue and apprehend the professional auto theft criminal.
During 2011, 220 vehicles were successfully recovered
by OCATT personnel worth an estimated $4,138,354.00.
The average value of the vehicles they recovered was $18, 810.70.
OCATT detectives made 49 physical arrests of vehicle
theft suspects during 2011. Additionally, OCATT detectives filed
criminal complaints on another 45 suspects. OCATT detectives assisted
allied agency personnel make an additional 69 arrests during the same time
period.
Orange County Auto Thefts
Calendar Years 1993 - 2011
|
Year
|
Orange County
Population
|
Licensed Drivers
in Orange County
|
Vehicle Registrations
in Orange County
|
Vehicle Thefts
in Orange County
|
Increase /
Decrease
in Thefts
|
Thefts per 1000
Registered Vehicles
|
| 1993 |
2,576,000 |
1,803,300 |
1,890,556 |
20,145 |
1234 |
10.7 |
| 1994 |
2,615,300 |
1,800,500 |
1,876,575 |
19,196 |
- 4.7% |
10.2 |
| 1995 |
2,614,800 |
1,701,400 |
1,914,625 |
16,788 |
- 12.5% |
8.8 |
|
1996
|
2,649,800
|
1,810,600
|
1,957,200
|
13,822
|
- 17.6%
|
7.1
|
|
1997
|
2,705,300
|
1,828,300
|
1,881,148
|
12,137
|
- 12.6%
|
6.6
|
|
1998
|
2,763,900
|
1,854,000
|
2,015,296
|
10,884
|
- 10.3%
|
5.4
|
|
1999
|
2,813,700
|
1,877,651
|
2,051,569
|
9,673
|
- 11.1%
|
4.7
|
|
2000
|
2,893,100
|
1,905,170
|
2,125,552
|
9,847
|
+ 1.8%
|
4.6
|
|
2001
|
2,925,200
|
1,945,258
|
2,178,313
|
11,139
|
+ 13.1%
|
5.1
|
|
2002
|
2,939,500
|
1,988,664
|
2,247,656
|
10,842
|
- 2.7%
|
4.8 |
| 2003 |
2,978,800 |
1,987,180
|
2,238,415
|
11,256
|
+ 3.8%
|
5.0
|
|
2004
|
3,017,300
|
1,981,373
|
2,523,852
|
12,508
|
+11.1%
|
5.0
|
|
2005
|
3,056,865
|
1,983,385
|
2,504,202
|
13,360
|
+6.5%
|
5.3
|
| 2006 |
3,071,924 |
1,998,855 |
2,545,849 |
10,987 |
-17.8%
|
4.3 |
|
2007
|
3,098,121
|
2,024,425
|
2,541,604
|
9,501
|
-13.5%
|
3.7
|
|
2008
|
3,107,500
|
2,025,409
|
2,526,427
|
7,633
|
-19.6%
|
3.0
|
|
2009
|
3,090,688
|
2,023,150
|
2,509,262
|
6,442
|
-15.6%
|
2.6
|
|
2010
|
3,010,232
|
2,034,001
|
2,520,474
|
6,356
|
-1.3%
|
2.5
|
|
2011
|
3,055,745
|
2,050,085
|
2,519,055
|
6,344
|
-0.2%
|
2.5
|
Above Statistics based on California Highway Patrol
VTIS Reports, DMV Information, and U.S. Census Bureau
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
TOP
TEN CARS STOLEN IN ORANGE COUNTY IN 2011
TOP
TEN CARS STOLEN IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2011
TOP
TEN CARS STOLEN IN CALIFORNIA IN 2011
|
