NCJ Number
208055
Date Published
2004
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This paper presents the methodology and findings of the Chula Vista Police Department's (California) analysis of vehicle-related theft in the city and the measures adopted in response to the findings.
Abstract
The crime analysis, which began in early January 2002, was prompted by the city's increasing auto-theft rate, which was up 15 percent from 2000 through 2001; this was a trend opposite to that of a neighboring city. Forty-four percent of reported crimes in Chula Vista were either auto theft or auto break-ins, and losses from auto theft exceeded combined losses from robbery, burglary, and larceny. Chula Vista is a border city 10 minutes from Mexico, and local analysis showed dramatic differences in the volume of auto theft in Chula Vista compared with regional data on auto theft. The analysis concluded that close proximity to the border contributed to the high rate of vehicle theft for export. "Hot-spot" analysis of offenses showed little change in high-volume auto-theft locations from 2000 through 2001, indicating stable "hot-spots" within the city. Aerial photos of high-volume locations were used to distinguish parking lots from other types of locations. With mapping software, parcel addresses were layered onto the aerial photos to reveal that all of the top-10 high-volume locations were parking lots of varying types, with almost all of them lacking significant security measures. Representatives of the Chula Vista Police Department are currently involved in discussions with parking lot owners to determine the feasibility of implementing various parking-lot security measures that have proven effective elsewhere. This crime analysis shows the relevance of routine activity theory, rational choice theory, and crime pattern theory in analyzing the vehicle-related crimes in Chula Vista. 3 tables, 5 figures, 20 notes, and 14 references