1998 Annual Report
Auto Theft
Defined as the theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle, this offense category includes the theft of automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, motor scooters, and snowmobiles. This definition excludes the taking of a motor vehicle for temporary use by persons having lawful access.
Auto theft
has shown the most consistent and dramatic decline of any crime
over the past 20 years. The 1998 total of 397 represents a
decrease of 83% from 20 years ago, 66% from 10 years ago, and 18%
from last year. The 1998 total is the lowest in over 35 years.
Statistics for auto theft are considered highly reliable because
almost all auto thefts are reported to the police.
More than any other crime, auto theft has been positively influenced by effective law enforcement activity. This steady decline can be attributed to the near elimination of "chop shops" that trade in stolen parts and interstate auto theft rings (in part by the Governor's Auto Theft Strike Force); crackdowns on insurance fraud; advances in automobile security; and new technologies that enable patrol officers to quickly check a vehicle's registry listing and determine if it is stolen. The result is that "for profit" thefts are nearly a thing of the past. Most of today's auto thieves are joyriders or people looking for short-term transportation; 75% of stolen cars are recovered relatively intact.
| Neighborhood | 1990s Average |
1997 |
1998 |
Change 97–98 |
% of 98 Total |
| East Cambridge | 89 |
86 |
48 |
-44% |
12% |
| MIT | 61 |
43 |
20 |
-53% |
5% |
| Inman/Harrington | 52 |
16 |
42 |
+163% |
11% |
| Area 4 | 78 |
47 |
63 |
+34% |
16% |
| Cambridgeport | 91 |
92 |
52 |
-43% |
13% |
| Mid-Cambridge | 77 |
29 |
24 |
-17% |
6% |
| Riverside | 44 |
24 |
31 |
+29% |
8% |
| Agassiz | 22 |
8 |
3 |
-63% |
1% |
| Peabody | 46 |
31 |
37 |
+19% |
9% |
| West Cambridge | 47 |
24 |
31 |
+29% |
8% |
| North Cambridge | 76 |
61 |
36 |
-41% |
9% |
| Highlands | 17 |
16 |
10 |
-38% |
3% |
| Strawberry Hill | 9 |
6 |
0 |
-100% |
0% |
| Total | 709 |
483 |
397 |
-18% |
Geography
Area 4, Cambridgeport, and East Cambridge generally show the highest auto theft totals, though not necessarily in that order. Area 4's high total is due both to its dense residential population and to the Central Square area commercial parking lots. Cambridgeport has clusters around Central Square, but the bulk of the thefts occur in the lower half of the neighborhood, especially near the border of the MIT neighborhood. East Cambridge's high total is due to the high commercial population of the neighborhood.
| 1) Below the Galleria. The hot spot here is the three blocks immediately to the south of the CambridgeSide Galleria. Times of day vary with the season; most active is a September to November daytime/early evening pattern. | 2) East Cambridge/Harrington border. An unusually high number in this mixed residential/commercial area on either side of Cambridge Street. There is evidence of a pattern from March through May during nights. |
| 3) Webster/Hampshire corridor. Again, an unusually dense cluster here. Most of the thefts came in the second half of the year, between 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., but no definite series could be identified. | 4) Triangle below Main Street. Mostly daytime thefts in this area bordered by Main, Street, Vassar Street, and Massachusetts Avenue. Mixed in are some nighttime thefts that were part of an October-November pattern that primarily struck Bishop Allen Drive (see #5). |
| 5) Bishop Allen/Area 4. The parking lots along Bishop Allen Drive between Prospect Street and Main Street are the hot spots in this area. A nighttime pattern that targeted Toyotas struck this area in October and November. | 6) Upper Cambridgeport. A wide cluster in this residential neighborhood. Thefts were spaced liberally throughout the year, at varying times of day. No patterns were observed her despite the high volume. |
| 7) Lower MIT/Vassar Street. A much, much smaller cluster than last year when dozens were reported in this area, but a cluster nonetheless. This is one of the areas in the city that can be counted on to produce 20-50 auto thefts each year. Toyotas and Hondas are the favorite makes in this area. Thefts take place both day and night, mostly off Vassar Street. | 8) Harvard Square. Not really many thefts for a busy commercial area, but the ones that did occur favored days between September and December. |
| 9) Garden Street, below Cambridge Common. A string of daytime thefts concentrated in May and June. No similar makes & models. | 10) Fresh Pond Apartments: The single parking lot with the greatest number of auto thefts, almost all of the during the dead of night. No favored makes or models. Most recoveries are made in Dorchester and Roxbury. |
Though each showed clusters in 1998, Cambridgeport, East Cambridge, and MIT all declined greatly from 1997, when very large, very active series dominated each of these neighborhoods.
The Inman/Harrington neighborhood's 163% jump is the biggest increase. The primary factor behind this rise was the very low total for this neighborhood last year; there were no identifiable patterns or series.
Area 4 showed an increase of 34%, influenced by a fall pattern of auto thefts at parking lots on Bishop Allen Drive.
Top Stolen Makes & Models
Makes |
Models |
||
| Toyota | 62 |
Toyota Camry | 25 |
| Honda | 48 |
Honda Accord | 21 |
| Ford | 33 |
Toyota Corolla | 17 |
| Chevrolet | 33 |
Honda Civic | 13 |
| Oldsmobile | 25 |
Oldsmobile Cutlass | 14 |
| Nissan | 22 |
Nissan Maxima | 9 |
| Dodge | 19 |
Toyota Tercel | 7 |
| Buick | 13 |
Jeep Cherokee | 7 |
| Acura | 12 |
Acura Integra | 6 |
| Jeep | 12 |
Ford Escort | 5 |
The makes and models of automobiles stolen have remained fairly consistent over the past several years: Toyotas and Hondas account for about 28% of the total number of vehicles stolen. The Toyota Camry was the most targeted model, followed by the Honda Accord, the Toyota Corolla, and the Honda Civic. For the past several years, these models have always been in the top four. The fact that these particular models are stolen more than any other is a function of several factors. First, these cars are some of the most commonly owned models in the nation, making them more widely available. Statistical probability would place them at the top of the theft list. Second, car thieves tend to look for average-cost, commonly-owned, inconspicuous cars. High-priced luxury cars are not stolen very often because they are too easy for someone to spot.
Analysis of theft by model year works the same way. Highest in demand are cars that are eight to nine years old. Thieves looking for transportation steal these cars because they are inconspicuous. Thieves looking to make a profit target these years because parts for these cars are in higher demand.
Days & Times
Auto thefts are almost evenly split between day and night: 53% occur during nighttime hours, and 47% during daytime hours. Nighttime thefts, which were most likely in residential areas, were concentrated between 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Daytime thefts, which more often took place from commercial areas, were most likely between 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Thefts were most common on Saturdays and Tuesdays, and least common on Sundays and Wednesdays.
Seasonal Variations
Auto thefts have been generally low in November and February, and they are likely to show a slight increase between June and September. The variations are slight, however, and any moderate-sized pattern is likely to throw them out of whack. In general, it is accurate to say that auto theft no longer follows predictable seasonal patterns.
Recoveries
As of this report, 334, or 84%, of the automobiles stolen in 1998 have been recovered. 60% of the recoveries were made within a day of the original theft; 80% were made within four days of the theft. Boston contributed the most (135) recoveries, followed by Cambridge (70) and Somerville (30).
Most recovered vehicles show damage to one of the doors and to the ignition or steering column. About half of the recovered vehicles have items missing, such as the stereo, a car phone, or other items left in the car. About 15 percent are completely stripped and are often burned.
The table below shows the number of vehicles stolen in Cambridge and recovered in each city or town that reported at least five recoveries.
| Boston | 135 |
| East Boston | 7 |
| Charlestown | 6 |
| Downtown/Beacon Hill | 2 |
| Allston/Brighton | 7 |
| Back Bay/Fenway | 0 |
| South Boston | 1 |
| Roxbury | 15 |
| Dorchester | 25 |
| Mattapan | 12 |
| West Roxbury/Jamaica Plain | 4 |
| Hyde Park | 1 |
| Unknown | 55 |
| Cambridge | 70 |
| East Cambridge | 8 |
| MIT Area | 3 |
| Inman/Harrington | 4 |
| Area 4 | 16 |
| Cambridgeport | 7 |
| Mid-Cambridge | 4 |
| Riverside | 4 |
| Agassiz | 2 |
| Peabody | 5 |
| West Cambridge | 6 |
| North Cambridge | 6 |
| Cambridge Highlands | 1 |
| Strawberry Hill | 1 |
| Unknown | 3 |
| Chelsea | 9 |
| Everett | 7 |
| Lynn | 8 |
| Medford | 8 |
| Somerville | 30 |
14 recoveries were made out of state, including 8 in New York and 3 in New Hampshire.
Offenders
The Cambridge Police Department arrested 26 people-25 males and one female-for auto theft or receiving a stolen motor vehicle in 1998. Offenders' ages ranged from 13 to 39, with an average age of 23. Seven were juveniles. Ten of the arrested persons were from Cambridge; nine were from Boston; two were homeless; and two were from Somerville.