Six of the top ten stolen car hotspots are in California. Five can be found along the Central Valley’s Highway 99: Visalia, Fresno, Modesto, Stockton and Sacramento. The number one hotspot is Modesto, and according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, it has been for three years running.
California Connected goes on the spot to investigate what’s behind these high theft rates. We look at the role that the hotrod culture, and also methamphetamine, plays in the crimes. Our reporter Craig Miller speaks to victims and a thief. We learn from a CHP Commander how the authorities are using “bait cars” to trap the bad guys.
- National Insurance Crime Bureau
- Crime in California, 2005, California Department of Justice (PDF)
- California Department of Insurance
- Auto Theft Coverage, The Modesto Bee