Did you know July is "Watch Your Car Month?" Historically, more vehicle thefts and auto burglaries occur in Texas during the month of July than any other month.

This is why the Texas Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority has declared this month “Watch Your Car Month.” Almost half of the vehicles stolen in Texas each year are easy targets due to keys being left inside the vehicles. In 2014 there were 64,000 cars reported stolen which means a car was stolen every eight minutes.

Amarillo had a high rate in auto theft in the past. In 2014 there were 362 auto thefts reported. So far this year vehicle thefts have decreased by about 10 per month. The Amarillo police Department said:

"One way cars are stolen is by the auto burglars-thieves that get out, often at night, and work both parking lots and residential areas, searching and stealing things left in cars.  Very often, we find a stolen car that contains property stolen in auto burglaries “dumped” in an area, and find another car has been stolen in the same area, often very close.  The criminals are out “car hopping,” as they call it, searching parked cars.  They use a stolen car to get around, and dump it for another when they find a set of keys in a car that they are searching for valuables.  Most car owners think that if the keys are out of sight, they are safe, but these crooks look through and search cars, and they are better at finding keys than we are at hiding them…this is their JOB, after all.  Switching cars allows them to not be seen out in the same car, helping them avoid the detection of police officers who might stop a car they see out repeatedly."

Here are some helpful tips to reduce the chances that you will be a victim of auto theft:

1. Always lock your vehicle and take your keys

2. Never leave your car running and unattended

3. Park in well-lit and high-traffic areas

4. Take valuables with you when you are not in your vehicle

5. Keep valuables out of sight if you can't take them with you

Top 10 List Of Cars Most Stolen In Amarillo

10. Oldsmobile (Cutlass)

9. GMC trucks

8. Toyota cars (Camry, and Corolla)

7. Chevrolet cars (Impala, and Caprice)

6. Ford cars (Taurus and Victoria)

5. Dodge cars (Intrepid and Stratus)

4. Honda cars (Civic and Accord)

3. Dodge trucks

2. Chevrolet trucks

1. Ford trucks

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