Car thefts up nearly 50% in Oakland compared to 2022
Oakland is experiencing a record number of motor vehicle thefts.
The latest crime stats released by the police department showed between Jan. 1 and Dec. 10 the department recorded 13,999 stolen cars.
They reported that was a 46 percent increase compared to the same period last year. For the daily average, that comes out to 40 stolen cars a day.
According to previous annual vehicle theft numbers posted on the city's website, the city never recorded more than 10,000 reports. In 2022, the city received 9,859 reports of stolen cars.
The latest crime stats also showed the police recorded more stolen cars than car break-ins. They received 13,076 reports of break-ins. But police admitted the break-in number is a little deceiving because a lot people just don't report car break-ins anymore.
Aside from stealing cars for parts, officers said criminals are often using stolen cars to commit other crimes, like burglaries and robberies. Oakland police said burglaries were up 25 percent and robberies were up 36 percent year over year.
Thieves are targeting all makes and models. But police said they're seeing a lot of stolen Hyundais and Kias because some of their models don't have engine immobilizers, which make them easier to steal.
To slow down the thefts, the city is stalling about 300 license plate readers. City leaders believed the cameras would alert officers when they get hits on stolen cars.