| According to the National Insurance | | | | George Police Department, there were 137 |
| Crime Bureau statistics, a car is stolen | | | | motor vehicle thefts reported in the |
| every 25.5 seconds. As such, communities | | | | city of St. George for that particular |
| nationwide have to be cautious because | | | | year. This number mirrors only a tiny |
| they constantly face the risk of auto | | | | portion of the 7,267 vehicle thefts |
| theft. | | | | reported in the state of Utah as a |
| The NICB was created to work with | | | | whole, said the Utah Department of |
| insurance companies to prevent insurance | | | | Public Safety's crime statistics report. |
| fraud and auto theft. As part of its | | | | Sgt. Craig Harding, public information |
| functions, the Bureau provides | | | | officer for the St. George Police |
| statistics and list of cars most popular | | | | Department, presented a seminar in |
| among thieves. | | | | September at the Dixie Center explaining |
| Based on the Bureau's data, the 1995 | | | | how community awareness prevents crimes. |
| Honda Civic topped the list of cars most | | | | He described the three components of a |
| likely to be broken into or stolen in | | | | crime: a perpetrator, a victim and an |
| the previous year. On the second and | | | | opportunity. "A crime won't occur if one |
| third spots were the 1989 Toyota Camry, | | | | of these components does not exist. If |
| and the 1991 Honda Accord, respectively. | | | | the perpetrator is there with the mind |
| The Nissan Sentra, Acura Integra and the | | | | and will to commit a crime, and the |
| Ford F-150 also made it to the list. | | | | person comes out of the darkened |
| Luxury automakers such as the | | | | stairwell giving the opportunity but the |
| manufacturer of the Acura brake booster | | | | person is prepared, the 'victim' aspect |
| and Cadillac Escalade are the hot | | | | has been taken out of the equation," |
| subjects of thievery. Also, statistics | | | | Harding said. |
| shows that students are now treated as | | | | The NICB suggested a layered approach, |
| easy prey to burglary. | | | | which is described in an advice article |
| Robyn Brinkerhoff, a junior majoring in | | | | titled "America's most stolen vehicles" |
| communications from St. George, said a | | | | published on MSN Web site. The layers |
| former roommate had his car broken into. | | | | are low-cost effective suggestions that |
| "He came out of the house one morning on | | | | will make cars less attractive to |
| the way to school and was startled to | | | | thieves. |
| find his car had been burglarized | | | | The first of four layers the experts |
| sometime during the night. The only | | | | suggest is basic but often accidentally |
| thing they had stolen were his school | | | | overlooked. Lock the car, and take the |
| books out of his backpack," Brinkerhoff | | | | keys - that's it. The second is |
| said. "He had CDs, a stereo, and all | | | | equipping the vehicle with an alarm |
| they were after was his books. They | | | | system or warning device. Immobilizing |
| didn't even take the backpack." | | | | the car by using a smart key fuel |
| Thieves are keen. Whether they wanted a | | | | cut-off is the third layer, and finally, |
| particular equipment or document inside | | | | installing some form of tracking device |
| the car, or the vehicle itself, they | | | | that would allow authorities to recover |
| will find a way to get it. | | | | a vehicle if stolen is the fourth, Dixie |
| Based on the 2006 Crime Statistics Year | | | | Sun reported. |
| End Total report gathered by the St. | | | | |