NCJ Number
128989
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Data from the Wisconsin State Uniform Crime Reporting program formed the basis of an analysis of motor vehicle thefts and trends in Wisconsin during 1985-89.
Abstract
The analysis showed that motor vehicle thefts have increased by 52.2 percent in the last 5 years and accounted for 7.9 percent of total index crimes and 8.4 percent of property offenses in 1989. Sixty-two percent of those arrested for motor vehicle theft in 1989 were juveniles and included many "joyriding" offenses. Seventy-eight percent of the thefts involved automobiles. Clearance rates have increased slightly since 1986. Fifty-eight percent of the arrests involved white adults and juveniles. The State's southeast area and Vilas County, which experienced many snowmobile thefts, had the highest rates of motor vehicle theft. The rates of theft were generally greatest in areas with greater population densities. Figures and tables