Car thefts surge as FBI data reveal latest crime trends

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Nearly a million vehicles – worth more than $20 billion – were stolen throughout the United States last year as the rate of motor vehicle thefts increased by more than 8% nationwide, the FBI revealed Monday.

The agency's 2022 Crime in the Nation data provided insights into the latest crime trends based on statistics shared by thousands of law enforcement agencies around the country.

The FBI's numbers showed police handed down 1,213,913 total charges related to motor vehicle thefts in 2022 within the 93.5% of law enforcement agencies – 15,724  total – that share their data with.

In 2021, the FBI recorded 636,941 total charges related to motor vehicle theft. 

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Motor vehicle thefts increased by an estimated 8.6% in 2022, per data compiled by the FBI from 93.5% of U.S. police agencies. (FBI)

However, the agency said in an earlier press release, only 76.9% of U.S. police departments shared their data with the FBI in 2021 due to its switch from the Summary Reporting System – an aggregate monthly tally of crimes – to its National Incident-Based Reporting System which "provide[s] circumstances and context for crimes like location, time of day and whether an incident was cleared."

But the agency said that it managed to account for last year's data shortcomings, arriving at an estimated 8.6% increase in motor vehicle thefts and 8.1% increase in carjackings between the two years.

Nearly 70,000 were arrested for motor vehicle theft in 2022, with 2,000 of those suspects carrying a firearm on their person when they were arrested.

Reflecting national data, motor vehicle thefts on college campuses shot up from 2,700 incidents in 2021 to 4,900 incidents in 2022. 

Of approximately 69,600 motor vehicle theft arrestees whose age and sex were reported to the FBI, 78.3% were men. Men under 18 accounted for 17.8% of reported stolen vehicles. Men between 35 and 64 were the most largely represented group, accounting for about 26% of the total. 

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Property crime offenses in all categories spiked by 7.1% in 2022 from the previous year.  (FBI)

Women between 25 and 34, meanwhile, carried out the most vehicle thefts among their sex, accounting for 31% of the approximately 15,100 car thefts carried out by women and 8% of the total thefts.

In total, per the FBI data, the stolen cars reported by the agency were collectively worth $21,156,141,491. Of that amount, about $8,140,125,633 – 38% of the total value – was returned to owners by law enforcement.

Carjacking incidents – thefts of automobiles that involved use of force – increased from an estimated 23,500 incidents in 2021 to 25,400 last year, per the data. At least one weapon was involved in 22,700 of 2022's carjackings. 

Nearly half of all carjackings took place between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m., the agency wrote.

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Nearly half of all reported 2022 carjacking incidents took place between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m., per the FBI. (FBI)

More offenders worked in groups, per the data, with a 13% increase seen in carjacking arrests involving two or more suspects. 

The rate of property crimes per 100,000 citizens increased 7.1% from 2021 to 2022, per the data, with a total of 6,513,829 related charges filed by police. Larcenies, the agency said, increased by 7.8%. The rate of burglaries, however, remained unchanged.

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But, amid the increase in property crimes, the statistics showed violent crimes were trending downward, decreasing collectively by 1.7% last year.

Homicides dropped by 6.1%, the agency estimated, and rapes dipped by 5.4% from 2021. Aggravated assaults saw a lesser decrease with 1.1% fewer incidents.