Security issue: Vehicle theft

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Security issue: Vehicle theft

Vehicle theft is the crime of theft, or attempt of theft of or from a motor vehicle (automobile, truck, bus, motorcycle, etc.).

Description

Vehicle with broken window from forced entry

This category includes both theft of and from vehicles in the same category, because the measures against it would be very alike from the viewpoint of an urban planner.

This category does not include: carjacking/joyriding, theft with access to keys, fraudulent theft, or opportunistic theft

Attributing circumstances

  • location (attainability of theft)
  • Deserted car parking lots, quiet junctions and residential areas are often targets. In addition, vehicles stuck in traffic are often targets for a 'smash and grab' incident where an item of value is clearly visible (e.g. handbag, purse, stereo, etc)/
Risk of Car Theft by Parking Location in England and Wales (1982-1994)[1]
Location Thefts per 100,000 cars per 24 hours
Home garage 2
Home carport/drive 40
Home street 117

Impacts

Economic impact

Property crimes such as vehicle theft lead to considerable costs in both a direct (primary) and a indirect (secondary) way[2]. Direct costs of vehicle theft come in the form of:

  • Preventive costs in anticipation of vehicle theft (e.g. security measures, prevention, insurance fees);
  • Material and immaterial costs as a consequence of vehicle theft (e.g. physical damage, repairments, mental harm); and
  • Responsive costs to vehicle theft (e.g. the costs of detection and prevention, persecution, support trial, etc.).

In addition, the secondary economic impact of criminal offences has to be considered. Property crime like vehicle theft not only leads to financial or physical damage and prevention costs, but in case of frequent occurence also indirectly influences the local/regional and even national economy of a country. For example crime prone areas with a longstanding reputation for suffering from much crime, are subjects of high mobility of residents, vandalism, parking with extreme security measures, etc. In addition, one could consider the opportunity costs of police and other public services (like services for victim support).

Measures

  • surveillance
  • reaction force
  • target hardening
  • access control (parkings)
  • deflecting offenders
  • Education (don't leave valuables in car)

Footnotes and references

  1. http://www.popcenter.org/problems/residential_car_theft/
  2. Primary economic impact (or direct effects) are generally defined as the initial, immediate economic output generated by a specific cause (in this case a criminal offence). Secondary economic impact (or indirect effects) are generated each time a subsequent transaction is made, for example, the impact of crime on the real estate value in the neighborhood.

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