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Fritz Grimsley

ORANGE COUNTY AUTO THEFT TASK FORCE
A Multijursidictional Law Enforcement Program

Orange County Auto Theft Statistics

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


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