It’s peak auto theft season in the Washington area.
Officials say between Memorial Day and Labor Day is when your car is most likely to be stolen. And though the number of auto thefts in the area has dropped in recent years, more than 17,000 cars were stolen last year in the Washington area, said AAA Mid Atlantic spokesman John Townsend.
“Here’s the good news: Some 2,682 vehicles were stolen in D.C. proper in the six month period from January to June 2009, compared to 3,076 vehicles during the same period in 2008, the FBI reports,” said Townsend. “Here’s the bad news: If your vehicle is stolen, it seems like the odds are against you. You only stand less than a sixty percent chance of having it recovered. Speaking of the odds, you also stand a greater chance of having your car stolen in July and August than any other months of the year.”
Of the nearly 1 million cars stolen last year more than half were never recovered.
According to Fairfax County crime statistics, the numbers are better than the national average when it comes to recovering stolen automobiles.
In 2008, county police reported recovering a total of $3.8 million in stolen autos, after automobiles totaling $2.6 million were reported stolen that year.
AAA reminds drivers to never leave car doors open or unlocked, never leave the car running, never leave keys in the car, to never leave the face to your stereo attached, never leave personal documents inside your car, and to be extra cautious when parking at beaches, mall parking lots, mass transit parking lots and on dimly-lit streets.
They also stress putting valuables away, placing them out of the sight of anyone who might be walking by.
Those valuables include cell phones, computers, iPods, GPS units, cameras, shopping bags and purses and wallets to name a few.
