You hold the key to prevent auto theft
“A lot of people think, ‘My car isn’t going to get stolen. That’s not going to happen to me.’ But it can happen to you.”
Minnesota police officer and auto theft expert
Could my car be stolen?
Over 16,000 cars were stolen in 2022 in Minnesota, representing more than $200 million in losses to victims. According to law enforcement, the majority of these incidents involved vehicles with the keys left in the cars by owners.
In 2020, theft of motor vehicles increased in Minnesota at double the rate of the
U.S. as a whole. What’s more, it doesn’t matter what time of day it is, what neighborhood you live in, what kind of car you drive, or where you park it. Your car is at risk of being stolen, especially when you leave the keys inside.
How does car theft impact me? My car hasn’t been stolen.
Even if your own car isn’t stolen, higher insurance premiums mean you still might be paying for your neighbor’s stolen car. Your auto insurer will look at the crime statistics and decide the fact you live in a particular area means a higher financial risk for them as a company – so they charge you more on the front end to cover that perceived risk.
The Commerce Fraud Bureau is collaborating with efforts by local law enforcement to prevent auto theft. One prevention effort is to provide Minnesotans with the tools you can use to help prevent car theft.
The most likely method a car thief will use to steal a car is to simply find one with the keys inside. We want to stop that cycle of easy theft.
So, to stop thieves from taking your car. Take your keys. Always.
- Take your keys when you park your car.
- Make sure the doors and windows are locked.
- Never leave a car running unattended.
- Don’t leave valuables in your vehicle.