Auto Theft

The rate of vehicle theft generally coincides with the population of a city. Take Fort McMurray for example, in 2009 on the McLean's list of the cities with the most vehicle theft, the city came in 11th while in 2010 it jumped up to first. Fort McMurray though is a booming city where hundreds of thousands of people come every year from around the world to get work in the oil sands. The bigger the population and the crime rates rise. Winnipeg though dropped from first in 2009 to eighth in 2010. The majority of vehicle theft is in the western provinces, with B.C. having six of the top spots in 2009.

Top 10 Cities in Canada for Auto Theft -  2009

1	Winnipeg, Man.
2	Prince George, B.C.
3	Joliette, Que.
4	Chilliwack, B.C.
5	Edmonton, Alta.
6	Surrey, B.C.
7	Kamloops, B.C.
8	Abbotsford, B.C.
9	Saint- Jérôme, Que.
10	Maple Ridge, B.C.

Top 10 Cities in Canada for Auto Theft - 2010

1	Fort McMurray, Alta.
2	Joliette, Que.
3	Surrey, B.C.
4	Kelowna, B.C.
5	Brantford, Ont.
6	Edmonton, Alta.
7	Grande Prairie, Alta.
8	Winnipeg, Man.
9	Langley, B.C.
10	Saskatoon, Sask.

Looking at statistics though, the crime rate for vehicle theft has gone down drastically. According to McLean's it has gone down 40% in the past decade. So what have we done so differently in the past ten years to change the rates that much? Preventing vehicle theft starts by using your head. Lock your doors, roll up the windows, don't leave keys in the car or in an obvious spot to find, don't leave items that people want to steal in plain sight and most of all do not leave your car running unnatended. If you want to get more technical, there are alot of alarm systems and steering wheel locks that would prevent a thief from stealing your car also. 

There are also certain types of cars that theives take, so don't buy these:

1	2000 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
2	1999 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
3	2002 Cadillac Escalade 4-door 4WD
4	2004 Cadillac Escalade 4-door 4WD
5	2005 Acura RSX Type S 2-door
6	1997 Acura Integra 2-door
7	2000 Audi S4 Quattro 4-door AWD
8	2003 Hummer H2 4-door AWD
9	2006 Acura RSX Type S 2-door
10	2004 Hummer H2 4-door AWD