The number of cars stolen in the U.S. in 2022 is expected to surpass one million for the first time in history, shattering previous records and leaving law enforcement struggling to keep up.
Through the first nine months of 2022 more than 745,000 vehicles were stolen across the country, according to data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. That’s the highest number of cars stolen during the first nine months since 2008 and a 24% increase over pre-pandemic levels, the NICB said.
They estimated that the value of the stolen vehicles this year exceeds $6.6 billion.
Police officers say the number of stolen cars is actually much higher than what’s being reported.