Tulsa Named As A Hot Spot For Auto Theft

A recent national survey identified Tulsa as one of the top metro areas in the nation for vehicle thefts.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau recently found that there were 880,595 vehicle thefts nationwide in 2020. That comes out to about one vehicle stolen every 36 seconds.

Thefts increased 11% from 2019.

“Auto thefts saw a dramatic increase in 2020 versus 2019 in part due to the pandemic, an economic downturn, law enforcement realignment, depleted social and schooling programs, and, in still too many cases, owner complacency,” said David Glawe, president and CEO of the NICB.

Tulsa came in #10 on the NICB's list of top 10 cities with an average of 551.76 auto thefts per 100,000 residents.

Local law enforcement is working on getting that number down. In early August, Tulsa Police arrested five people who are believed to be behind a car theft ring responsible for stealing expensive cars in Bixby, Jenks and South Tulsa, News on 6 reported.

Lieutenant Chase Calhoun previously told the TV station that the stolen cars are used for everything from joyriding to committing other crimes and being sold for parts. To combat the problem, authorities have been leaving bait cars in neighborhoods known for thefts and inspecting salvage yards for vehicles that have been reported as stolen.

Calhoun said that the community can help by simply making sure their cars are locked.

“We need them to do little things like quit leaving their keys and key fobs in the car, keep their vehicles locked," he said.