It doesn’t matter if you’re an automotive dealership, multifamily residential property, shopping center, or office building. You need to be worried about auto theft. Those in the auto theft business are thriving. The numbers back it up.
In the first three months of 2021, there were only 6,692 auto thefts according to Car and Driver. The same period in 2022? That number soared to 12,569! And that’s not the worst of it. National Insurance Crime Bureau reveals that in 2022, auto thefts blew past 1 million for the first time since 2008. Remember what happened in 2008? It was the year of the financial crisis and the Great Recession.
The Latest Auto Theft Data
There is no major financial crisis in 2022 or 2023 like there was in 2008. Yet, 2022 saw an estimated $8.9 billion in losses associated with car theft. This year is not much better. Auto thefts are up by about 34% in 2023 from the same period in 2022 according to an Axios analysis of data from the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ). When you look at the data for the first six months of 2023, it shows car thefts are 104.3% higher than when compared to 2022.
It’s not just auto theft that owners and businesses need to worry about. The Kelley Blue Book quotes the CCJ, which considers car theft a “keystone crime” or a gateway to other crimes. This means that motor vehicle theft helps with committing other crimes including homicide, robberies, drug trafficking, and violent crimes. Fortunately, CCJ reports some offenses are returning to pre-pandemic levels, but car theft is not. They consider it an outlier.
“Approximately one motor vehicle is stolen every 32 seconds, which adds up to more than one million vehicles stolen last year,” said David J. Glawe, President and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau. “Vehicle theft disrupts lives, causes financial hardship, and undermines community safety. Addressing this problem is not just the responsibility of law enforcement agencies; it requires a partnership between vehicle owners, community members, as well as federal, state, and local governments.”
In 2022, a car was stolen every 44 seconds. Now it’s every 32 seconds. That adds up to 2,700 stolen vehicles per day, which means about 112 cars are taken per hour! This situation is severe enough that law enforcement agencies from 77 countries participated in Operation Carback. This operation also got assistance from Interpol. They are seeing the car theft numbers skyrocket on a global scale.
The theft of auto parts, specifically catalytic converters, remains a massive problem. BeenVerified shares its findings from analyzing catalytic converter thefts in the U.S. They estimated thefts in 2022 were 540% higher than they were for the entire year of 2020. So, thieves aren’t just swiping vehicles. They’re also cutting them up to obtain the parts.
A detective told CBS News DFW that they have never seen auto theft as high as it is currently. They remarked thieves are getting more brazen by stealing vehicles in broad daylight. The story explains that it’s harder to get needed parts, which has driven up the value of parts. Therefore, thieves go after the whole vehicle and sell the parts.
Stolen vehicles can easily be sold on the black market or dismantled for valuable parts. This results in severe financial losses for owners. Shopping centers, offices, automotive dealerships, and multifamily residential properties like apartments and condos need to pay attention and act.
Why Automotive Dealerships Should Worry
Dealerships are particularly vulnerable to auto theft due to their large inventory of valuable vehicles. Thieves target dealerships for their abundance of high-value assets. The lot often has a diverse range of vehicles, from compact cars to luxury SUVs and trucks. This gives crooks a wide array of options. One single theft can yield substantial returns.
By their very nature, dealership lots are large and open to attract buyers. The sheer size of the assets and lots makes it difficult to implement effective security measures. Criminals know this and can exploit the dealership’s weaknesses.
Besides, crime doesn’t sleep. Crooks can strike anytime, day or night including after-hours when no one is on the lot. This off-hour exposure underscores the importance of continuous security measures.
Aside from the obvious financial losses, a single auto theft incident can severely hurt a dealership’s reputation. Stolen vehicle news reports can deter potential customers, erode trust, and damage the dealership’s standing within the community. Maintaining a safe and secure environment is paramount to upholding a positive image.
Retail Properties: An Easy Target
Shopping centers, especially those with sprawling parking lots, are increasingly becoming attractive spots for car theft. Crooks deem these areas as prime hunting grounds because of the diversity of vehicles that are not being watched. Whether there are a lot of people around or it’s after hours, crooks commit crimes during both.
There are a lot of people on retail properties, especially during peak hours and holiday seasons. It makes it easier for criminals to remain anonymous, blend in, and go unnoticed. Additionally, shoppers are focused on their tasks, not paying attention to their vehicles or things. This distraction, coupled with a false sense of security, can make it easier for thieves to break into and steal vehicles without drawing any attention.
Shoppers can spend a lot of time at stores, particularly during sales events or when running errands. This extends the time their vehicles sit in the parking lot, providing ample opportunities for their vehicles to be targeted and escape easily thanks to the many easy entry and exit points.
Although some retail centers have security cameras and patrols, they often do not have comprehensive surveillance systems covering every corner of their parking lots. This lack of surveillance can create hidden spots that thieves can exploit. Furthermore, these cameras are often not monitored, which turns them into a reactive security solution.
Office Buildings: Vulnerable During Off-Hours
Office buildings often have many entrances and exits for people and vehicles. This gives criminals the opportunity to make a quick getaway. Employees working in the office building believe they’re in a secure space and may lower their guard. They can become complacent about locking their valuables and leaving things in the car. Additionally, employees stay busy with work and may not notice suspicious behavior.
While there are more brazen thieves committing crimes during daylight hours, they also look for opportunities after hours. Office buildings tend to become hotspots for theft during the evenings and weekends when it’s harder to see the crime in action. Plus, their security measures may be lacking continuous monitoring. Commercial property owners that don’t have an effective multi-layer security process may find themselves dealing with vehicle theft and property damage.
Multifamily Residential Properties: Hotbed for Auto Theft
Apartment communities contain many vehicles in a location. This increases the chances that intruders will find an unlocked car or valuables inside. Additionally, multifamily building parking lots fill up with a wide array of vehicles. Organized crime gangs may have specific requirements for what they need and know they will find it in a multifamily residential community parking area.
Besides, apartment communities must have strong security measures in place. This helps protect the residents and their vehicles as well as attract potential residents.
How to Protect Your Business from Auto Theft
Security technologies like video surveillance with remote monitoring come with multiple layers of security built in. It gives the solution an advantage over traditional alarm systems because it can see everything at all times. Add trained monitoring operators and video analytics and it levels up the security system. This is because video analytics take on the tedious part of monitoring and monitoring operators can communicate with intruders without being on the property.
Remote video surveillance involves a security specialist installing high-definition video security cameras in strategic places around the business perimeter. The use of high-definition surveillance cameras ensures the video recordings can identify faces, license plates, and other valuable information that could lead to an arrest. In many cases, existing cameras could be used.
The monitoring operators are in a separate building away from the businesses they watch over. Whenever they see a potential problem, they can issue a warning through an onsite speaker. If nothing stops the intruders by this point, the monitoring operator can contact the police while monitoring the suspects.
The surge in auto theft is a concern for dealerships, retailers, office buildings, and multifamily residential communities. Properties that are not prepared could find themselves paying a big price.
Fortunately, by investing in proactive measures such as enhancing video surveillance with monitoring, these properties can significantly reduce their vulnerability to auto theft. It’s time to prioritize auto theft prevention to help safeguard their assets and maintain the safety and trust of their employees, residents, vendors, and customers.
Every vertical has different remote video surveillance requirements. Search for a security vendor who has experience in your industry. A company like ECAM can optimize your security investment to deliver a faster ROI.
For specific information on security for your industry, select the article of interest:
- Multifamily residential top four concerns related to rising costs
- Commercial real estate top security threats
- The problem with digital car keys and how to protect your dealership
- The impact of homelessness on retail centers
- Why access control matters greatly for offices, apartments, and retailers
To learn more about video surveillance with remote monitoring, check out this guide on Security Systems 101. Please feel free to contact us with your questions.
