Auto theft reports hitting new highs in North Texas
NORTH TEXAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) – Chances are it's happened to you or someone you know – auto theft reports have skyrocketed nationwide and here in Texas, setting new records in several cities. Every day in DFW, dozens of cars and trucks are being stolen.
Dallas County detective Walter Clifton spent nearly 15 years on the North Texas Auto Theft Task Force. "They're getting more brazen - they're stealing them in broad daylight now." He says he's never seen a spike like the one we're in now.
The I-Team analyzed five years' worth of reports from across North Texas and found vehicle thefts up in most cities. While some police departments reported 100, 200, or 300%+ increases, nowhere is the problem bigger than in Dallas, which saw 13,412 cars and trucks stolen last year.
Fort Worth came in second with just 3,105, followed by Arlington, Garland and Irving.
Clifton says to understand the numbers, you have to understand the crime. He says different groups target different vehicles for different reasons. Some want to make money off the parts, while others sell the stolen autos to unsuspecting buyers. Many stolen vehicles are used in other crimes, and certain models are targeted by the cartels.
"Mexico individuals call and tell their people up here, 'hey we need 40 trucks.' By the next morning, they go 40 trucks going across the border," said Clifton. "You wake up, you've been asleep eight hours, and it's already across the border."
He says full-size pickups and SUVs are among the most popular, year after year, along with Dodge and Mopar cars. "The Hellcats, the Demons, The Scat Packs, anything with the fast Hemi engines," said Clifton. "They steal those constantly."
Then there are the joyriders. Last year social media videos showed just how easy it can be to steal certain makes and models. "I've had customers tell me insurance companies won't cover them anymore because there are so many Kias and Hyundais stolen."
Clifton says older model pickups are vulnerable because sometimes all a thief needs is a screwdriver. But newer model cars and trucks aren't safe either. As soon as new safety technology is released, thieves figure out ways to get around it, like using key fob frequencies to remotely start vehicles.
It can be difficult to target "hot spots" for auto thefts in DFW because it happens almost everywhere. "Shopping malls and apartment complexes, restaurants where there's a lot of cars parked and somebody can pull in parking garages, they're prime targets."
Some cities have managed to bring down the number of auto thefts. According to numbers provided by Burleson Police Department, the city saw a 37% reduction in auto thefts from 2021 to 2022. We asked the department what it attributed to that success and received this statement:
"The Burleson Police Department has taken a two-fold approach to addressing theft of a motor vehicle and burglary of a motor vehicle. The first is intelligence led initiatives. These initiatives utilize historical data to determine areas of criminality and directing our efforts to address the issues in those areas. Not only was there an observable reduction of theft of motor vehicle, there was also a 48.6% reduction in burglary of motor vehicle from 2021 to 2022. The second is public education campaigns. These campaigns are primarily focused through the use of 9PM routines via social media, but also through the distribution of educational materials and word of mouth during community events, such as the Burleson Police Department Open House."
While every arrest is a battle won, Clifton says the sheer number of crimes far outweighs the cops. "I could do this every day for the next ten years of my career and still barely put a dent in it."
