Car thefts up 45% in L.A. since start of pandemic
Times analysis finds the downtown area has seen the case rate quadruple in 10 years.
Anna Scanlon, 31, had just moved into her new apartment in Echo Park when she noticed one morning that her 2000 Honda CR-V was missing.
Parked in an unlighted lot behind her apartment, with no alarm system and 160,000 miles on it, the car was a “theft magnet,” she said.
Police found the car two days later in South L.A. with empty alcohol cans scattered on the floor.
After spending $2,000 in repairs, Scanlon, who works for a political nonprofit, had a functioning car once again, only to have it stolen six months later.
This time, police found the car in North Hollywood a week and a half later, with a mattress in it and some parts stripped off.
“It looks like there might’ve been people living in it,” she said. “After the second time, I was like … I’m sick of this ... [B.S.] and I’m buying a new car,” she said.
Although the number of car thefts has been on the decline in the last two years, Los Angeles is still on pace to record 45% more stolen cars in 2023 than in the year before the COVID-19 pandemic started.
A Times analysis of vehicle theft data in Los Angeles from 2013 to 2023 confirmed that vehicle thefts are most prevalent in higher-crime areas of the city, even though violent crime has dropped in those areas. The data also showed that the rate of car theft around downtown Los Angeles has quadrupled over the last 10 years. The information analyzed by The Times included data on stolen passenger vehicles, trucks, buses, motorcycles and scooters.
Car theft hits Southern Californians particularly hard because holding down a job and getting around without a vehicle is especially difficult.
California is the most expensive state in which to own a car, with the second highest gas prices and 11 th highest cost for full-coverage car insurance, according to Forbes.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s 77th Street Division, located in South L.A., has recorded the most vehicle thefts in the last 10 years, followed by Newton Division in Central-Alameda and the Southeast Division.
The 77th Street Division includes the communities of Athens Park, Chesterfield Square, Gramercy Park, Hyde Park and Morningside Park, among others.
Vehicle thefts often occur in areas plagued with gang crime activity, and with the 77th Street Division generally having the highest level of crime in the city, it comes as no surprise that South L.A. has the most vehicle thefts, according to Paul Vernon,
former LAPD commanding officer of the crime analysis division.
“Where you’ll see a heavy gang activity and violent crime, it’s not surprising to see cars stolen, and often the cars are stolen because they are used in other crimes,” he said.
But though violent crime in the LAPD South Bureau has decreased in recent years, vehicle theft continues to rise, South Bureau Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides said.
In just the last two years, the South Bureau recorded a nearly 18% increase in vehicle thefts, the greatest increase out of the four LAPD bureaus in the city.
“We’re continuing to see reductions in violent crimes, shots fired, shooting victims, but [we’re] seeing a steady increase in property crime, and the majority of the increase that we’re seeing is in the South Bureau,” she said.
Those living in lower-income areas like the 77th and Southeast divisions of South L.A. may not have the finances to own a car and tend to buy vehicles through a proxy or straw buyer, Vernon said.
Used cars bought through third parties are more often stolen because they are usually not equipped with sophisticated antitheft devices and are easier to break into, he said.
“Most cars stolen are from middle-class or lowerclass people who really need that car and maybe have one car, and that’s a great expense to them to lose that car,” he said.
“When these criminals steal a car, it’s much more than stealing a piece of property. This is often stealing people’s livelihoods.”
Downtown L.A. sees a surge in thefts
Central Division, encompassing downtown L.A., Chinatown and Little Tokyo among other neighborhoods, saw the greatest increase in vehicle thefts in the past 10 years — more than 300%.
Vernon, who worked as a detective lieutenant in the Central Division for about 10 years, said the majority of all crime in the division comes from Skid Row, a 54-block area.
“The high number of crimes there in Central are really a measure of how bad Skid Row has gotten and how much its expanded or its influence has expanded,” he said.
Kias and Hyundais stolen most often
Viral TikTok videos started circulating in 2022 showing how to start a Hyundai or Kia by using a USB charging cord. Since then, the LAPD has noted an uptick in stolen Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
In 2022, 20% of all stolen vehicles in L.A. were Kias or Hyundais, up from 13% in 2021.
“The simplicity and the quickness that these offenders are able to get into the car, start it up, and take it has been a challenge not only in South Los Angeles but throughout the city of L.A.,” Tingirides said.
In the South Bureau alone, Kia and Hyundai thefts are up 57% and 27% this year, respectively, compared with the previous year.
The LAPD has partnered with Kia and Hyundai in an anti-theft initiative that allows people with a vulnerable Kia or Hyundai to qualify for a free software update that will increase the security of the car.
Rate is still above pre-pandemic levels
At the beginning of the COVID lockdown in March and April 2020, vehicle thefts skyrocketed as all other property crimes dropped.
As more people were working from home or stuck abroad during their travels, cars parked for a long period of time were easier targets, Vernon said.
But the recent rise in vehicle thefts still has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Los Angeles has recorded more than 20,000 vehicle thefts in this year alone, and Vernon and Tingirides both point to what they consider lax policies that allow offenders to continue committing the same crime repeatedly.
Offenders can be cited to court, but there is no guarantee they will show up, and often they are simply released, Vernon said.
And with approximately 10% of suspects making up 50% to 60% of all vehicle thefts, Vernon estimates, reducing the number is virtually impossible if law enforcement cannot keep repeat offenders accountable, he said.
“There is no deterrence from stealing cars because the cost of stealing a car is way too low,” he said. “[From] certitude of being caught, swiftness of being punished, severity of punishment, that’s not happening today” with vehicle theft crimes.
Tingirides added that it is difficult to track juveniles who commit property crimes after getting cited to their parents or to court.
“They are cited back to their parents, and if they’re not showing up to court or not abiding by court order, it’s really hard to track them,” she said.
Experts offer tips to keep your car safer
Car theft can happen anywhere and anytime, so it is important that drivers lock their car, hide valuables and stay vigilant, California Highway Patrol Officer Christian Baldonado said.
“If you have a vehicle and a bunch of gifts in the front seat, that’s easy prey,” he said. “And a lot of times with these smash-and-grabs, people just don’t care anymore. They’ll just bash windows in broad daylight.”
If people see a car theft in progress, taking a cellphone video can help law enforcement track down the suspect, he added.
And with the holiday season around the corner, he urged vehicle owners to be cautious as they shop for presents and fill their car with valuables.
“That’s when people put their guard down, so to speak, thinking that they’re safe,” he said.
“You have to always be vigilant, especially during the holiday season when people are buying presents and they’re in a rush.”
After Scanlon’s car was stolen the second time, she decided it was time to give up on the Honda and bought a 2011 BMW, which has an alarm system and a new steering wheel lock.
“If this car gets stolen, I’ll probably just take the Metro,” she said.