NICB: U.S. Watercraft Thefts Declined in 2017

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The National Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB) 2017 watercraft theft report shows a five percent decrease and resumes the downward trend in thefts that was broken by 2016’s slight increase. A total of 4,864 watercraft were reported stolen between January 1 and December 31, 2017. 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	1,163	34%
2	California	488	54%
3	Texas	410	36%
4	North Carolina	158	35%
5	Washington	156	49%

The top five cities for thefts in descending order were:

	City	Thefts	Recovery Rate
1	Miami	208	29%
2	Tampa, Fla.	81	25%
3	Fort Lauderdale, Fla.	77	30%
4	Sacramento, Calif.	51	45%
5	Largo, Fla.	46	35%

The top five types of watercraft stolen in descending order were:

	Watercraft Type*	Thefts	Recovery Rate
1	Personal Watercraft	1,180	27%
2	Runabout	618	43%
3	Utility	285	38%
4	Cruiser	185	56%
5	Sailboat	41	56%

The top five manufacturers for watercraft thefts in descending order were:

	Manufacturer	Thefts	Recovery Rate
1	Yamaha Motor Corp., USA	620	24%
2	Bombardier Corp.**	425	37%
3	Kawasaki Motors Mfg.	150	25%
4	Bass Tracker Corp.	116	41%
5	Alumacraft Boat Co.	116	32%

Most thefts in 2017 occurred during the months of May, June, July, August and September with June recording the highest number with 628. December saw the fewest with 222.

Source: NICB

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