Lisa Nisco’s excitement at purchasing a 2017 Infiniti for $8,000 on Facebook Marketplace quickly turned to frustration and disbelief when she discovered the car was stolen. After taking possession of the vehicle, she went to the DMV to register it, only to be told the title was counterfeit and did not match the name of the owner listed in the system. While the car’s VIN number matched the paperwork she received, the fake title made her purchase invalid.
Shocked and unsure of what to do, Nisco contacted the New York City Police Department, who confirmed that the vehicle had been reported stolen. They instructed her not to drive the car, as being caught in a stolen vehicle could result in her arrest, despite her innocence. Over a year later, the crime remains unsolved, and Nisco is left with a vehicle she cannot use, unable to recover her money or find closure.
Nisco’s story is far from unique in a country where car theft is rising at an alarming rate. In New York City alone, over 15,000 vehicles were reported stolen in 2022, more than double the number reported in 2017. Nationwide, nearly one million cars were stolen last year, a 10.9% increase from 2021. Despite the staggering number of thefts, fewer than 70,000 arrests were made. The low clearance rates for car theft cases underscore the challenges law enforcement faces in addressing this crime wave. While stolen vehicles often represent significant financial losses for victims, their recovery is rare, and arrests are even more infrequent.
A CBS News analysis of police data from more than a dozen cities revealed that the majority of car theft cases go unsolved. In New York City, for instance, only 14 arrests were made for every 100 reported car thefts in June 2022. Denver’s clearance rate was even lower, at just 7 arrests per 100 thefts. This trend is consistent across the country, where clearance rates for car thefts have historically been low. FBI data going back to 2000 shows that fewer than one in five cases were ever cleared, a number that has only worsened with the recent surge in thefts. The overwhelming volume of cases and limited resources available to law enforcement contribute to these persistently low rates.
Law enforcement officials point to budget and staffing shortages as key factors behind the low solve rates. Car theft is often deprioritized as a property crime, with more resources allocated to violent offenses. David Glawe, president of the National Insurance Crime Bureau, emphasized that the growing number of car thefts outpaces law enforcement’s ability to respond effectively.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, whose jurisdiction includes parts of Chicago, argued that car theft should not be seen as merely a property crime. Stolen vehicles, he said, often play a role in more serious criminal activities, such as shootings or robberies. Dart expressed frustration with clearance rates as low as 4% in some cities, calling them unacceptable and urging a more aggressive approach to enforcement and prosecution.
In Chicago, rideshare driver Matt Nalett has taken an unconventional approach to tackling the car theft epidemic. While driving for Uber and Lyft, Nalett began noticing abandoned vehicles with telltale signs of theft, such as shattered windows or missing license plates. Using public police databases, he began checking VIN numbers and notifying authorities when he identified stolen cars. Over time, Nalett developed relationships with police officers, who sometimes directed him to areas where stolen cars were likely to be found. His efforts shared through a Facebook group with over 31,000 members, have led to the recovery of more than 4,500 stolen vehicles. Despite his success, Nalett acknowledges the challenges law enforcement faces, noting that vehicles not linked to violent crimes are often treated as low priorities.
Some law enforcement agencies have turned to innovative solutions to address the car theft surge. In Cook County, for example, a vehicle tracker program was launched to make it easier for police to locate stolen cars. Residents can register their vehicles in the program, which allows law enforcement to access tracking information directly from manufacturers. A windshield sticker alerts potential thieves that the vehicle is trackable, serving as a deterrent.
While the program has enrolled only a small fraction of the county’s 1.5 million vehicles, early results suggest it is effective, with only three participating cars reported stolen since the program’s inception. However, critics argue that tracking and recovering vehicles is not enough; understanding how stolen cars are used in the interim between theft and recovery is crucial to addressing the broader impact of car theft.
Meanwhile, automakers Kia and Hyundai have come under scrutiny for allegedly failing to include anti-theft features in their vehicles. More than a dozen cities, including New York, Baltimore, and Chicago, have filed lawsuits against the companies, claiming their cars’ vulnerabilities have contributed to the rise in thefts. The automakers have denied responsibility, attributing the increase in car thefts to lax policing and prosecution policies. They also argue that budget cuts to public safety departments have exacerbated the issue. The legal battle highlights the complex interplay of factors contributing to the nationwide car theft crisis, from vehicle design to law enforcement challenges.
For victims like Lisa Nisco, the lack of resolution is both frustrating and disheartening. Her stolen vehicle sits idle in her driveway, a constant reminder of the crime she unwittingly became entangled in. Despite her cooperation with the NYPD, she has seen little progress in the investigation and has yet to recover any of the money she spent on the car. The rise in car thefts and the low likelihood of solving such cases leave many victims feeling powerless. As cities grapple with increasing theft rates and stagnant clearance rates, there is growing pressure on both law enforcement and policymakers to find more effective solutions to this pervasive problem.