ST. LOUIS — The National Insurance Crime Bureau says that more than a million vehicles were stolen in 2022. That is a 7% increase over 2021 and Missouri and Illinois are among the states seeing the most cars stolen.
Illinois saw the number of vehicles stolen jump between 2021 and 2022. The 35% change was the most out of any state. Missouri saw the number of vehicle thefts rise by 10% year over year.
| State | 2021 Totals | 2022 Totals | Percent Change 2021-2022 |
| California | 201,034 | 202,685 | 1 % |
| Texas | 95,082 | 105,015 | 10 % |
| Washington | 35,921 | 46,939 | 31 % |
| Florida | 43,250 | 45,973 | 6 % |
| Colorado | 38,570 | 42,237 | 10 % |
| Illinois | 28,677 | 38,649 | 35 % |
| Ohio | 28,107 | 29,913 | 6 % |
| Missouri | 26,630 | 29,345 | 10 % |
| New York | 23,088 | 28,292 | 23 % |
| Georgia | 26,238 | 26,529 | 1 % |
*Law Enforcement Agencies may still be entering thefts for 2022, and these numbers may change.
“We are seeing vehicle theft numbers that we haven’t seen in nearly 15 years, and there is very little deterrent to stop criminals from committing these acts as they are just property crimes, like shoplifting,” states David J. Glawe, President and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau. “We must reinvest in local law enforcement, provide the necessary resources for prosecution and community policing programs, and implement early intervention programs given the high incidence of juvenile offenders involved in vehicle thefts.”
St. Louis police reported 149 cars stolen in a single week in February. Following that, FOX 2 found thieves stealing four vehicles within 20 minutes in south St. Louis.
Hyundai and Kia announced that they are deploying a software solution to help combat the vehicle theft problem. The thefts of these car brands has become a major issue in St. Louis and around the country.
