Danie M. Huffman

wdreporter2@yahoo.com

The “Best in Texas” seems to be the best among auto thieves.

Ford pickups were rated the number one automobiles stolen in the state.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) released a report on the top 10 Texas vehicles reported stolen in 2007.

The report is compiled monthly by DPS and shows vehicle thefts entered into the Texas Crime Information Center by all Texas law enforcement agencies.

An error margin of plus or minus 5 percent is allotted for incorrect entries made by various agencies.

According to the report, trucks top the list. Ford, Chevrolet then Dodge are the top three “hot” pickups.

The Honda Accord and Honda Civic came in second and third on the list.

The Chevy Tahoe is rated as the sixth most wanted and the number seven spot goes to GMC pickups.

The remainder of the list goes to a semi-luxury car, an economy vehicle and a sports model.

Ford Taurus, Toyota Camry and Ford Mustangs conclude the list as numbers eight, nine and 10.

Authorities say thieves steal vehicles for a variety of reasons.

The report states most people think new vehicles would be at the top of the list, but cars and trucks which are only a few years old are the ones which seem to get stolen first.

Some thieves steal for the sole purpose of stripping cars for parts. Others are sold to buyers who are none-the-wiser.

Teens seems to like to steal cars for joy rides, while older thieves tend to use stolen vehicles as get-a-way cars and to commit crimes.

Insurance fraud is another reason to steal cars, but local authorities said such cases are a rarity.

Vehicle thefts are listed as costing Texans more money than any other crime in the state. More than $900 million in vehicles were reported in Texas during 2006.

According to Weatherford Police Detective Wendy Field, vehicle thefts are not common for the area. Vehicle burglaries are more popular, but tend to occur at random.

“Thieves look for [vehicles] that are unlocked with things left inside like purses, expensive items and packages,” Field said. “Cell phones and any thing of value seem to be easy for thieves of opportunity.”

Field suggests always making sure your car is secure and never leave your keys in the car.

“Use common sense,” she said. “Park it in the driveway, garage or where the car is visible.”

She added most of the cases reported are ones where the victim knows who is in possession of the car.

“Sometimes it’s someone who borrowed the car and didn’t give it back,” she said. “Random thefts are not common in this area.

In the past year, Weatherford Police took 48 reports on unauthorized use or theft of a vehicle.

Twenty-four reports were made by vehicle owners who either knew the suspect or were related to them.

Some reports involved cases which were suspended, officials cleared the report where the vehicle was never recovered, or the owner decided to not file charges.

Field said 13 such cases were cleared, seven suspects were arrested and four reports were unfounded.

“The reports are not broken down by vehicle type,” Field said. “The majority were at random.”

Texas Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority (ABTPA) personnel strongly encourages Texas drivers to practice vehicle crimes prevention.

ABTPA Director Susan Sampson said auto thieves are looking for “the easy take.”

“So, it is more important than ever that drivers practice common sense and utilize practical prevention methods such as locking doors, taking keys and hiding all items that may be desirable to a thief,” Sampson said.

The Texas ABTPA, an office of the Texas Department of Transportation, funded law enforcement programs focusing on vehicle crime investigations, recovery, prevention and prosecution since 1991.

Motorcycle thefts were not totaled in the study. Honda and Yamaha motorcycles would have ranked nine and 10, had the list included two-wheel rides.

“Lock, Take, Hide” is a campaign started to get vehicle owners to take extra precautions in not becoming an auto-theft statistic.

For more information on prevention, call (800) CAR-WATCH.