NICB Reports 1% Increase in U.S. Watercraft Thefts in 2016

Article

Reflecting a similar experience with vehicles, the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB) annual watercraft theft report shows a one percent increase in watercraft theft in 2016, reversing a multi-year downward trend. A total of 5,116 watercraft were reported stolen between January 1 and December 31, 2016. The report is based on theft data contained in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The top five states for thefts in descending order were:

State	Thefts	Recovery Rate
1	Florida	1,291	36%
2	California	451	55%
3	Texas	438	41%
4	Washington	216	50%
5	Louisiana	174	33%

The top five cities for thefts in descending order were:

City	Thefts	Recovery Rate
1	Miami	163	28%
2	Tampa, Fla.	81	27%
3	Fort Lauderdale, Fla.	62	21%
4	Orlando, Fla.	51	25%
5	Tavares, Fla.	43	37%

The top five types of watercraft stolen were:

Watercraft Type*	Thefts	Recovery Rate
1	Personal Watercraft	1,167	34%
2	Runabout	639	50%
3	Utility	355	38%
4	Cruiser	192	58%
5	Sailboat	66	62%

The top five manufacturers for watercraft thefts were:

Manufacturer	Thefts	Recovery Rate
1	Yamaha Motor Corp., USA	604	25%
2	Bombardier Corp.**	451	35%
3	Kawasaki Motors Mfg.	144	32%
4	Alumacraft Boat Co.	112	30%
5	Bass Tracker Corp.	107	36%

Most thefts in 2016 occurred during the spring and summer months with July recording the highest number with 671. February recorded the fewest with 223.

Source: NICB

Was this article valuable?