In the shadow of the war, 2023 ends with "only" a 120% increase in car theft attempts compared to 2022. This is according to data produced by the operational system of Pointer of Powerfleet Group, the company that locates and recovers stolen vehicles.
Documentation: Suspect in vehicle theft apprehended after police chase // Credit: Police Spokesperson's Office
According to the company, the increase in the first nine months of the year indicated a growth trend of 155% compared to 2022.
Data continues to soar
According to the report, vehicle theft attempts from the 2023 model year continue to soar, accounting for 14% of all attempts in the fourth quarter, compared to 7% in the third quarter and 3% compared to the first nine months of the year. This is in contrast to a decrease in theft of electric and hybrid vehicles due to an adapted technological upgrade.
According to the company's data, Tel Aviv stars in the number of attempted thefts in the fourth quarter with 15% compared to the average of 10% for the entire year. Thirty-eight percent of theft attempts in the fourth quarter were SUVs and SUVs, down 38 percent from 9 percent in all of 42.
In addition, the company reports that the top five cities in attempted car thefts in the fourth quarter of the year are Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Kfar Saba, Be'er Sheva and Petah Tikva.
Car theft, illustration, photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto
According to the company, the thefts are carried out by organized gangs around the clock. In addition, the trend of attempted car theft from the 2023 model year continues even more intensely in the fourth quarter, accounting for 14% of all attempts compared to the average of 3% that were known in all of 2023.
The company explains the phenomenon by saying that a large part of the thefts are not carried out for spare parts, but for the purpose of selling the vehicles themselves for personal use in the Palestinian Authority.
Five cities led in 2023 in car theft attempts: Tel Aviv with 10%, Petah Tikva with 7.8%, Jerusalem with 5.6%, Ramat Gan with 5.3% and Beer Sheva with 5.1%.
According to the company, an unusual phenomenon for the fourth quarter, the city of Tel Aviv jumped by 50% in vehicle theft attempts compared to the entire year; 15% compared to the average of 9%. The phenomenon is explained by the closure and increased military and police activity in the Seam Line area and the Sharon area, which has led to an increase in thefts from Tel Aviv, with the escape route being Route 443, Ni'lin, Modi'in Checkpoint.
Car theft (illustration), photo: Getty-Images
In addition, squads of thieves from the south arrive in the central region, including Holon, Rishon LeZion, Ramat Gan and Givatayim.
Exceptional compared to previous years
The company mapped thefts by model year throughout 2023: vehicles from 2021 are the most stolen, vehicles from 2023 account for 5%, vehicles from model year 2022 account for 13% vehicles from model year 2021 account for 24% of all thefts, vehicles from 2020 account for 17% of vehicle thefts, vehicles from model year 2019 account for 11% of all thefts vehicles from model year 2018 with 10% of all thefts.
In the fourth quarter, according to company data, vehicles from the 2023 model year accounted for 14% of all theft attempts, an increase of nearly 300% compared to all of 2023.
In addition, in relation to the use of a cellular disruptor, 85% of all car thefts use a cellular disruptor that masks cellular reception and GPS transmission, indicating organized and sophisticated gangs with expensive electronic equipment, which are supplied to them by crime families, owners of car dismantling lots, located at the top of the chain and financed by them.
Car thieves in action. As the vehicles improve, so do the methods of the burglars // Photo: Police Spokesperson's Office
Pointer CEO Ilan Goldstein said: "The fourth quarter of 2023 is an exceptional quarter compared to the rest of the year and compared to previous years. In this quarter in October, there was a halt in thefts, due to the increased presence of IDF forces and police, but on the other hand, there was an increase starting in November, after the slaughterhouse owners and crime families 'came to their senses' and an increase in economic pressure in the territories."
Goldstein added, "The thieves' squads have returned to raid Israeli cities, while we see a new trend of 'dispersing' dozens of thieves in certain areas and many thefts in cities that until now were not on the theft map as preferred cities such as Ramat Gan and Givatayim. These cities, as targets for car thieves, replaced Kfar Saba, Ra'anana and Hod Hasharon."
"In our understanding, the reason for the change is blockages in the thieves' 'traditional' escape routes due to increased military activity. Recently, due to an increase in the level of violence by car thieves, violence combined with nationalism, and the presence of many illegal weapons in PA territory, Pointer has entered the operational service bulletproof vehicles in order to enter PA territory, accompanied by security forces, during operations to return stolen vehicles that were found."
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"This quarter, to our great regret," says Ilan Goldstein in conclusion. "Pointer greatly assisted in locating private vehicles in the area of the surrounding communities and supported the security and rescue forces to carry out their missions."
Additional data
Popular theft methods in 2023 include mobile jamming. About 85% of theft attempts are carried out with a combination of a cellular disruptor alongside the following methods:
Security camera video documenting the theft of one of the vehicles by the defendant // Police Spokesperson's Office
Key duplication: The leading method of theft is still duplication of a "cocoon" key in the theft process, while connecting to an OBD socket through which you connect to the vehicle's computer or via a smart electronic device. The thieves encode a new key and delete the existing keys. About 42% of all recorded theft attempts were based on this method. A decrease of 6% compared to 2022.
Violent assault: Violent assault of the vehicle by replacing a computer accounted for 27% of all thefts. A 20% decrease compared to 2022.
Theft of keys from the customer's home (double): when there is a direct connection between breaking into the customer's home and the vehicle in the adjacent parking lot. accounted for 12% of all thefts recorded this year.
Theft by an authorized person: Usually carried out by duplicating a key by an authorized user who has received keys and a valid code of the vehicle. This method of theft accounted for 10% of all thefts committed this year. An increase of 25% compared to 2022.
Robberies and motor vehicle theft: accounted for 1% of all thefts this year.
Thefts by province
In addition, the company publishes the number of thefts by national district, mainly in the fourth quarter compared to the full year 2023.
Central Region: In the fourth quarter, an increase of 16% with 35% of all attempted thefts compared to 30% in all of 2023 (contributing to the increase in the city of Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan).
Sharon area: In the fourth quarter, with a decline to 15% of all theft attempts, compared to 18% in all of 2023. A decrease of 16%.
Southern Region: In the fourth quarter with a slight increase to 15% of total theft attempts compared to 14% in all of 2023.
Lowland area: In the fourth quarter, it dropped to 18% of all theft attempts compared to 21% in all of 2023. A decrease of 14%.
Jerusalem and surrounding areas: In the fourth quarter, an increase to 11% of all theft attempts compared to 9% in all of 2023.An increase of 22%.
Northern Region: Down to 6% of total theft attempts compared to 8% in all of 2023.25% decrease.
Other notable times and patterns of theft are published. The company notes that they no longer steal in broad daylight. In the fourth quarter, due to the war, most of the attempted thefts occurred from the evening until dawn, in contrast to the first nine months of the year, when attempted thefts were carried out at all hours of the day, a phenomenon that was a continuation of the trend in 2022 and the problem of governance.
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