Amidst this pandemic, reports of car theft have seen a surge all over California and have been especially on the rise in the Rohnert Park area.  Auto theft has been on the rise during 2020 and is still an issue in 2021 across the U.S.

This begs the question: Have car thieves gotten more clever with being able to break into cars? The short answer, no. 

  With a significant number of people staying at home during the pandemic, there have been many cases of car thieves stealing cars due to drivers leaving keys inside their cars. Also, individuals who attempt to steal cars may notice the same daily routine of cars parked at home and may try to find ways to break into the vehicle, giving them a higher likelihood to steal the car, especially when keys are visible to a thief. 

While there has been an increase in deliveries this year, there has also been an increase in delivery drivers leaving their car running while making deliveries- contributing to car theft as well. 

A 6% rise in carjacking has increased from the previous years pointing to the pandemic giving car thieves a window of opportunity to drive off if keys are visible to them.

Crime Analyst, Jill Kemp, from Rohnert Park Police department, shares her insight into the rise of auto theft in Rohnert Park, “Stolen vehicles have increased in 2020. Looking into 2021 they have also increased. Looking at the causes, it’s really a mixed bag. What we are finding is the opportunity that in several cases, folks have left keys and have left the car unlocked. Maybe not intentionally but sometimes they are. Some leave their cars unlocked and some have keys in the ignition… please don’t leave your keys in the vehicle and please secure it.” 

In addition to this surge in car theft, many work trucks are stolen, according to Kemp, “These kinds of trucks and work these people have to require them to have their tools in the back that are attracting folks to those kinds of vehicles.” 

The work trucks have toolboxes drilled open, attracting thieves to this type of truck and carjacking has been a frequent target for landscape trucks for a long time.

 In most cases of stolen vehicles, the theif had easy access to the keys. In other instances, someone could have watched their daily habits and knew where they placed their keys lending a chance to take them. There are examples of former employees who know where a key is kept, or upon meeting in various places will get a hold of the victim’s keys and drive away.  

Due to fast action of the police, there has been a high recovery rate in Sonoma County and  Marin County.

Luckily, there has been a quick turnaround for victims having reported their vehicles stolen, who were in most instances able to retrieve their vehicles with a 86.9% recovery rate according to California Highway patrol. 

Kemp, wraps up how the rate of cars stolen can be reduced following these key steps:  “Key takeaways to avoid this surge in auto theft are to always have keys on your person, keep keys within your reach only when with acquaintances, and take keys out of the car and lock it in order to dodge a break-in.” 

With more people at home due to this pandemic, always lock your car and always keep your set of keys and spares inside your home.