PENNSYLVANIA (WHP) — Despite a reported uptick in a few counties across the Commonwealth, York County Regional police are extending a tip of its cap to Pennsylvanians as car theft rates declined for the second straight year.
Data shows a 3% decline in car thefts, according to the Pennsylvania Unified Crime Reporting system, marking the second-straight year rates have fallen since a post-pandemic uptick.
While auto thefts rose by 4% in Philadelphia County, which the police department said accounts for 68% of auto theft in the Commonwealth, rates declined in Berks, Bucks, Delaware, and Lehigh counties. The police department also noted how already low rates held steady in Allegheny, Lancaster, Montgomery, York, and all other counties.
Steve Wheeler, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Auto Theft Prevention Authority, believes the decrease is likely due to targeted anti-theft task forces, which improved vehicle security and recalls.
“Social-media inspired thefts of Kia and Hyundai models declined after the manufacturers provided some fixes and law enforcement agencies clamped down with targeted campaigns,” he said. “And, we also know it really matters when drivers in all communities take precautions to prevent theft on a daily basis.”
Some helpful tips to prevent auto thefts include:
Locking your car and taking your keys every time Don’t leave your car “puffing”—unlocked, unattended, and runningPark strategically—near security cameras in well-lit, highly trafficked areasAlways be alert and aware of your surroundingsDo not sit in your car and text. Get in and go
“Keep up the good work,” York County police wrote in a news release.