CANTAN, Mass. and IRVINE, Calif. — In 2015, law enforcement officials recovered more than $112 million in stolen vehicles equipped with LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery Systems, according to LoJack’s seventh annual “Vehicle Theft Recovery Report.”
The most targeted vehicles were those worth over $30,000, according to the report. Although thieves are gravitating toward more expensive vehicles, the average value of vehicles recovered in 2015 was $10,287. Thieves also seemed to target specific vehicle colors, with black and white vehicles accounting for 20% and 18% of vehicles recovered, respectively.
Drivers in California, Texas and Florida were among the most targeted by car thieves, the report added. And for the seventh year in a row, those three states claimed the Top Three spots for states with the most stolen and recovered vehicles.
"Our vehicles have become an extension of our digitally-enabled lives and carry sensitive personal information about us. Each time a vehicle is stolen, it impacts the owner far beyond the loss of property," said Pat Clancy, vice president of law enforcement for LoJack. "While theft tactics are advancing, law enforcement officials and dealerships who partner with LoJack are dedicated to recovering vehicles in a timely fashion and minimizing the impact on owners."
According to the report, Honda and Toyota were two of the most targeted brands. The Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Toyota Corolla were at the top of the list for most stolen and recovered LoJack system-equipped vehicle models in 2015.
Today’s vehicle thieves, the report notes, are increasingly part of large, organized crime rings that have an incentive to target higher value vehicles, which can be cut up for parts, re-sold, or even shipped to overseas black markets for substantial profit. Traditional theft tactics are supplemented with more complex schemes like acquiring and copying smart keys, using mystery devices to unlock vehicles, cloning vehicles and using stolen credit reports and false identities to illegally finance vehicles, the report adds.
"In California, the FBI is reporting increasing auto theft rates, but the strong cooperation between LoJack and its law enforcement partners has helped improve tracking and recovery of stolen vehicles, which is why California continues to top all states in recoveries," Clancy said.
The most expensive vehicle stolen and recovered in 2015 was a 2011 Bentley GT, valued at $138,481.
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