2006 Top 10 Texas stolen vehicles

Pickups are not only popular among Texas drivers, they are also top targets for Texas vehicle thieves!

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has released its final MVT19 report on the top vehicles reported stolen in Texas during 2006. The MVT19 report is compiled monthly by DPS and represents vehicle theft data entered into the Texas Crime Information Center (TCIC) by all Texas law enforcement agencies. An error margin of plus or minus 5 percent is assumed for incorrect entries by agencies.

Based on the reports, as has been the case for many years, pickup trucks top the list of thieves' most common targets for the year. Coming in at #1 was the Ford Pickup followed closely by the Chevrolet Pickup at #2. This is the first time in over 10 years that a vehicle other than the Chevrolet Pickup has held the #1 position. In the #3 position, the Dodge Pickup also remains a popular target for Texas thieves.

The Honda Accord and the Honda Civic round out the top five stolen vehicles.

Please note that if motorcycle theft totals were included, the Honda motorcycle would rank #9 in the overall list.

The complete top 10 list of most stolen passenger vehicles includes:

1. Ford Pickup 2. Chevrolet Pickup 3. Dodge Pickup 4. Honda Accord 5. Honda Civic 6. Chevrolet Tahoe 7. GMC Pickup 8. Ford Taurus 9. Toyota Camry

10. Chevrolet Suburban Vehicles are stolen for a variety of reasons, and contrary to popular belief, the most stolen vehicles are several years old. Some are stolen and stripped for parts. Others are stolen and resold by the thief to another party. Many vehicles are stolen for joyriding, use in committing other crimes, to perpetrate insurance fraud, or for other illegitimate purposes. And vehicle theft costs Texans more money than any other crime - over $782 million in 2005.

Texas Automobile Theft Prevention Authority (ATPA) personnel strongly encourage Texas drivers to practice prevention. According to ATPA Director Susan Sampson, "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 valuables that may be desirable to a thief."

The Texas ATPA, a division of the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDot), has funded law enforcement programs specializing in vehicle theft investigation, recovery, prevention and prosecution since 1991. Since then, Texas has realized a 43 per- cent reduction in the vehicle theft total and a 56.7 percent reduction in the vehicle theft rate based on the number of registered vehicles in the state. Throughout the years, ATPA has worked closely with local, state, and national agencies to reduce auto theft. Currently, ATPA funds 31 grant programs, allowing over 150 law enforcement officers throughout Texas to focus exclusively on the resolution of theft cases.

To locate and contact the ATPA task force in your area regarding the most stolen vehicles, or for more information on statistics and prevention, contact Michelle Lanham or April Layton with ATPA's RATT (Reduce Auto Theft in Texas) program at 800-227-9282.