Auto thefts up in RI since 2019 – and here are the makes and models thieves target most

Mark Reynolds, Providence Journal
Updated ·3 min read

Automobile theft in Rhode Island rose from 1,519 thefts in 2019 to 1,796 in 2022, according to the latest data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

And the most stolen make and model during the 2022 calendar year was the Honda Accord, says the bureau.

Thieves stole 96 Accords during the period, it says.

Other popular targets were:

  • Toyota Camry, 77 stolen

  • Honda CR-V, 64 stolen

  • Hyundai Sonata, 59 stolen

  • Toyota Corolla, 57 stolen

  • Honda Civic, 49 stolen

  • Nissan Altima, 44 stolen

  • Ford pickups, full-size, 43 stolen

  • Hyundai Elantra, 42 stolen

  • Toyota Rav4, 41 stolen

A statistical table, compiled by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, that shows the particular types of automobiles that were stolen most frequently in Rhode Island in 2022.
A statistical table, compiled by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, that shows the particular types of automobiles that were stolen most frequently in Rhode Island in 2022.

Two Hyundai-make models on the top 10 list, the Sonata and the Elantra, have emerged as targets of some thieves in recent years.

Elantras from model years 2017-2020 and Sonatas from model years 2015-2019 were not equipped with push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices. They joined Kia models targeted.

Cranston police Capt. Justin Dutra said he can recall some incidents this year in which license-plate reading systems in the city detected the presence of stolen Kias and Hyundais.

Dutra suggested that the ruggedness of Hondas and Toyotas and the continuing value of Honda and Toyota parts makes them a target.

"It's almost a testament to the cars," Dutra said.

The 2022 statistics provided by the insurance crime bureau show a continuing rise in the overall number of auto thefts: From 1,519 in 2019 and 1,643 in 2020 (an outlier year for crime statistics due to the pandemic) to 1,712 thefts in 2021 and 1,796 in 2022.

The total incidence of auto theft in the United States increased last year, but some states, including Connecticut, had a lower number of thefts in 2022 than in 2021, according to the bureau.

Auto theft in New York rose by 20% during the first half of 2023, the report says.

The insurance crime bureau is an organization dedicated to countering and preventing insurance fraud.

It also ranks states based on the total number of thefts per 100,000 residents.

Rhode Island was ranked at No. 42, according to a spokesman for the bureau, Nicholas Zeitlinger, who also said that the higher rank signifies a higher rate of theft.

"Rhode Island has done relatively well in keeping vehicle thefts in check in spite of slight increases in the total number," he said.

Some experts warn that rankings can be misleading.

An online FBI data report on motor-vehicle theft in 2022 in Rhode Island shows a total of 1,744 thefts. That number is up from 1,101 recorded in 2016 but down from 2,700 in 2012, the report says.

The total value of the stolen property was almost $13 million, and about $5.2 million of that value was regained due to the recovery of stolen vehicles, says the online FBI report, which discourages "ranking locations or making comparisons."

The reason for this is that "crime is a sociological phenomenon influenced by a variety of factors," says one FBI warning. "Some data may not be comparable to previous years because of differing levels of participation over time."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI car thefts up; thieves target Honda, Toyota, Hyundai models in 2022