NM ranked high for auto theft

CLOVIS — If you live in New Mexico, you’re more likely than residents of 48 other states to have your car stolen someday. Fortunately, it’s not quite as likely if you live in eastern New Mexico.

A look at five years of auto theft numbers from around the country, performed by CarInsuranceComparison.com, ranked the Land of Enchantment third in its study at 531 stolen cars a year per 100,000 residents. The numbers, compiled from calendar years 2014 to 2018, indicate the highest area of vehicle theft comes from Washington, D.C. with 898 annual vehicle thefts per 100,000 registered vehicles and the lowest from Vermont with 37.

The nationwide average, according to the study, is 275 annual vehicle thefts per 100,000 registered vehicles.

During the five-year survey period, the Clovis Police Department reported a total of 679 motor vehicle thefts — 118 in 2014, 103 in 2015, 169 in 2016, 140 in 2017 and 149 in 2018. Based on a New Mexico Tax and Revenue estimate of 48,712 registered vehicles in Clovis, that’s an average of 278.8 annual vehicle thefts per 100,000 residents.

In 2019, the department reported 184 auto thefts — a rate of 377.7 per 100,000 registered vehicles based on the registration estimate. Inquiries sent to the CPD regarding the numbers, and a request for 2020 totals, were not returned. Previously, the department has routinely suggested residents keep their vehicles locked and not store any valuable items in plain view.

During the survey period, the Portales Police Department reported 131 auto thefts — 29 in 2014, 20 in 2015, 22 in 2016, 40 in 2017 and 20 in 2018. (Editor’s note: The PPD only reported eight thefts in 2018, but conceded there could be a potential error due to a switch in computer systems at the time; The News instead used previously-acquired FBI figures.) Based on a New Mexico Tax and Revenue estimate of 19,140 registered vehicles in Portales, that’s an average of 136.8 annual vehicle thefts per 100,000 registered vehicles.

Sgt. Nickolas Laurenz, the public information officer for the PPD, said there were 38 auto thefts in 2019 and 30 in 2020. Laurenz said there was no concrete explanation to any dips or spikes, and postulated fluctuation could come from whether repeat offenders were or weren’t incarcerated at the time.

In other findings from the study:

• Ford pickups were the top overall target of thieves, with 38,938 stolen during the five-year period. However, when categorized by specific models and years, the top two vehicles stolen were the 2000 Honda Civic and the 1997 Honda Accord. Honda Civics, regardless of year, were the top stolen vehicle in 2018.

• Of the top six states and/or districts, four were considered blue states based on historical voting data — Washington, D.C., California, Washington and Hawaii. New Mexico and fourth-ranked Nevada were considered neither blue nor red. The top 10 was rounded out by red states Alaska and Utah, mixed Colorado and blue state Oregon. The states in ranks 11-15 were red — Oklahoma, Missouri, South Carolina, Arizona and Georgia.

• New Mexico’s ranking is largely accounted for by Albuquerque, which averages 800 stolen vehicles per 100,000 registered vehicles. Of the top 10 vehicles stolen, six are trucks and two are Honda cars.