For the first time in nearly a decade, Fresno is not one of the top ten cities in the nation for auto theft.
The study released this month from the National Insurance Crime Bureau shows that at least when compared with other cities, Fresno is faring better when it comes to vehicle theft. As recently as 2011, Fresno led the nation in stolen cars. Last year it dropped to number nine, and this year all the way to 13.
The news wasn’t quite as good in Kern County, but the Bakersfield metro area also also showed some improvement, dropping from number two last year to number three in the 2015 report. Merced also made the top 10, coming in at number eight. Modesto led the nation.
The NICB’s Frank Scafidi says while many luxury vehicles are shipped overseas, older models popular in the Central Valley are often stripped for parts.
"We just find that up and down I-5, that corridor, whether it runs all the way to the Canadian border or down south to Mexico those are quick exportation or dispersal routes for these vehicles. And we do recover in Mexico within a hundred miles of the border frankly a good number of vehicles that are stolen out of California and other southwest border states," says Scafidi.
The study looks at the per capita rate of car thefts for the entire metro area. The last time Fresno wasn't on the top 10 list was in 2007.