As life returns to normal, so are stolen car rates. Between June 5 and June 23, there were nine reported thefts and attempted thefts in Thousand Oaks alone.
In a way, it’s a crime level returning to the mean. Vehicle thefts were “exceptionally low” during 2021, according to Captain Cameron Henderson, public information officer for the Ventura County Sheriff’s office.
“The data for 2022 falls within the monthly and year-to-date figures from 2017-2020,” Henderson explained in email correspondence. “We expect that 2022 data will show an increase from 2021 figures but anticipate that end-of-the-year figures will still be lower than the previous ten-year average.”
Of the nine thefts and attempted thefts in the T.O. area, three were unsuccessful but caused damage. Two stolen autos were recovered, one in Simi Valley and one in Compton, where an arrest was made, and the stolen 2001 Chevy Express van from Thousand Oaks was recovered. Four vehicles have not been located.
While other things may be normalizing, auto thefts don’t have to. Henderson says the easiest way to “keep numbers low is to encourage citizens to remove keys from their vehicles and lock their vehicles when not in use.”
