For the first seven months of 2006, the number of auto thefts in Columbia is more than 60 percent higher than in the same period last year, but the Columbia Police Department is reluctant to describe the increase as a long-term trend.

As of July, the most current statistics available, there have been 137 auto thefts in Columbia. From January through July 2005, there were 84 auto thefts in the city. The number of auto thefts increased about 17 percent from 2004 to 2005.

Capt. Brian Weimer of the MU Police Department agrees that an increase in population may play a role in the rise in auto thefts, but also said the numbers are difficult to interpret.

Many people report that their cars have been stolen when they really forgot where they parked it the night before or a friend borrowed the car without their knowledge, Weimer said.

The city of Columbia has a high recovery rate of stolen cars, said Columbia police Detective Mitch Baxley of the Major Crimes Unit. Columbia police have recovered 125 of the 137 vehicles stolen as of July, a 91 percent recovery rate.

In 2005, Columbia police recovered 85 percent of the 175 cars stolen. For the most part, Baxley said, vehicles that are stolen locally are recovered locally.

In Columbia, most auto thefts occur in high crime areas, but no area is free from auto theft, Liebhart said. Highly populated places such as downtown are hot spots for auto theft, but so are isolated farms.

MU and Columbia police describe auto theft as “a crime of opportunity,” because most thefts occur when people leave their keys in their car. Baxley said people may leave their keys in their car because they do not feel threatened by Columbia's residents or its crime rate.

According to a National Insurance Crime Bureau Auto Theft Study in 2004, the car most often stolen in Missouri is the 1994 Dodge Caravan. Liebhart said he thinks thieves may be attracted by the vehicle because, protected by the Caravan's innocent “soccer mom” appearance, they are able to transport more items from one place to another.

Liebhart said in Columbia the cars stolen most frequently are the Honda Accord, Honda Civic and Toyota Camry. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, these cars are targeted because they offer the best prices for stolen vehicle parts and illegal export to other countries.

Liebhart and Baxley said public knowledge about auto theft could greatly reduce the number of thefts every year. They recommended locking car doors, keeping windows rolled up and never leaving keys in the car, even if it is parked in front of one's home or one needs to run into a store or gas station for a minute.

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