According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Bakersfield ranks #3 on the list for the 2016 hot spots for vehicle theft.
The NICB reports that there were 7,176 thefts reported in the city alone in 2016.
That’s an increase of over 1,000 from 2015.
As for the rest of the list, California cities take up 6 of the top 10 spots.
According to Sgt. Ryan Kroeker with Bakersfield Police Department said that they are recovering 22 percent more vehicle in 2016 than they did in 2015.
So how can you make sure your vehicle and belongings are safe?
According to Sgt. Ryan Kroeker with the Bakersfield Police Department, “One of the things people can do is take stuff from inside their car and take it inside or put it in the trunk; get it so it’s out of view. Another thing is locking your cars. A lot of people don’t lock their cars and for a thief, it's easy. When they open the car it's unlocked, they're going to get in, and especially with keys inside they're going to steal your car."
According to NICB, vehicle theft is down dramatically from the early 90’s.
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