Automobile thefts continue to plague the Los Angeles region, but one area in particular is being hit harder than ever.
According to a report from the nonprofit news outlet Crosstown L.A., the San Fernando Valley is seeing historic levels of auto thefts this year.
During the first quarter of 2024, January through April, auto thefts in the Valley went up more than 28% from the same timeframe the previous year — more than five times the citywide figure.
In just the first four months of the year, there were 2,731 vehicles thefts in the LAPD’s Valley Bureau jurisdiction.
Crosstown says that a reorganization of LAPD crime data has made it harder to narrow down which areas are being affected the most, but police officials say neighborhoods that have historically been victimized continue to be targeted.
Some specific neighborhoods, Van Nuys for instance, have experienced relatively steady theft figures in the last several years. Meanwhile, in North Hollywood and Pacoima, thefts are higher than ever.
Los Angeles, like many major metro areas, has seen a sharp increase in the number of vehicle thefts since the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2023, there were more than 25,000 auto thefts across the city, up 64% from pre-pandemic numbers. Vehicle thefts in L.A. have increased every year since 2019, data showed.
So far, in the first four months of 2024, there were 8,043 cars stolen across the city
The vehicles that seem to be the favorite target of thieves are the same old culprits. Kia and Hyundai are among the automakers with the highest instance of thefts. These vehicles became part of a national trend following viral social media trends that showed just how easy it could be to drive off with one.
Chevrolet is also a go-to for car thieves. According to the LAPD, criminals are “cloning” key fobs to certain Camaro models.
But Los Angeles is not suffering alone. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, over 1 million vehicles were stolen in 2023, a 1% increase from the previous year. California, being the most populous state, experienced the highest volume of thefts.
David J. Glawe, president and CEO of the NICB, said in an April report that thieves are employing “increasingly sophisticated methods” to steal cars.
He added that it was critical for the automobile industry and law enforcement to “work together to develop more effective strategies for combating auto theft.”
To read the full report by Crosstown, and to learn more about the methodology used, click here.