Arizona Has Big Decline in Auto Theft

Thefts of cars and trucks in the Phoenix area are down 33 percent over last few years according to law enforcement and insurance industry experts.

Roughly 55,300 cars, trucks and motorcycles were stolen in 2004, compared with 37,200 last year.

Officials site several reasons for fewer car thefts including new police technology, such as automatic license-plate readers, “bait” cars, and better security features in new cars.

A report in the Arizona Republic noted that police in Glendale transformed it auto-theft detective squad from a unit of uniformed officers into a high-tech unit with plainclothes and undercover officers.

The chief of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office Auto Theft Bureau Bill Montgomery said the drop can also be linked to the increased presence of federal law enforcement along the Arizona-Mexico border.

Montgomery said smugglers are stealing fewer cars because it’s harder to get over the border.

___