When Parking Your Vehicle and Exiting:

Be cautious of surrounding obstructions and natural barriers that may be concealing a thief.

Texas Automobile Theft and Burglary Statistics

A vehicle is stolen in Texas every 8 minutes...

  • 68,220 vehicles were stolen in Texas in 2010, a 58% decrease from 1991, when Texas recorded its highest auto theft total of 163,837.
  • The estimated total value of vehicles stolen in 2010 was $635,570,078.
  • The average dollar loss per stolen vehicle was $9,980 in 2009.
  • One in every 318 registered Texas vehicles was stolen in 2010.
  • Texas ranks No. 2 in the nation in auto theft, behind California.
  • Half of all stolen vehicles are unlocked and have keys in the ignition at the time of the theft.
  • Texas recovered approximately 66% of vehicles stolen in the state in 2009. The top five vehicles stolen in Texas in 2010 were:
    • Ford Pickup
    • Chevrolet Pickup
    • Dodge Pickup
    • Chevrolet Tahoe
    • Honda Civic
  • Of all motor vehicles reported stolen in Texas in 2009, 56% were automobiles; 33% were trucks and buses, and the remaining 11% consisted of all other transport vehicles.
  • Law enforcement recorded a 12% clearance rate by arrest in 2009.
  • 5,372 persons were arrested for auto theft in 2010:
    • 12% juveniles, 88% adults
    • 85% male, 15% female
    • 40% Caucasian
    • 34% Hispanic
    • 25% Black
    • 1% all other races/ethnicities
  • Vehicle theft accounted for 8% of all 2009 property crimes in Texas; 39% monetarily speaking. The most vehicle thefts in 2009 occurred in August, the fewest in February.

A vehicle is burglarized in Texas every 2 minutes...

  • 261,166 cases of vehicle burglary were reported in Texas in 2010.
  • The estimated total value of property stolen from vehicles in 2010 was $219,274,501.
  • The average dollar loss per case involving the theft of property from inside a vehicle in 2009 was $790.
  • The average dollar loss per case involving the theft of parts off a vehicle in 2009 was $715.
  • The most commonly stolen items from inside vehicles in Texas include:
    • Small electronics (GPS systems, cell phones, cameras, IPods/MP3 players, portable DVD players, laptop computers, digital voice recorders)
    • CD’s
    • Personal belongings (purses, wallets, briefcases, clothing, sunglasses, books, any paperwork that may contain personal information such as names, mailing addresses, e-mail addresses, financial information)
    • Car seats
    • Shopping bags/packages
  • The parts/equipment most commonly stolen off vehicles include:
    • Stereos
    • Wheels/tires/hubcaps
    • Airbags
    • Truck tailgates
    • Light/lens covers
    • Mirrors
    • Catalytic converters