Auto Thefts Down 9 Percent Statewide, Up 27 Percent in Troy

Automobile thefts in Michigan fell 9.35 percent from 2009 to 2010, according to a recent release from the Michigan Automobile Theft Prevention Authority (ATPA). Since the inception of the ATPA in 1986, auto thefts in Michigan have fallen by 62 percent.

In Troy, however, automobile thefts – including attempted thefts – have increased by more than 27 percent between 2010 and 2011.

In 2010, 110 incidents of auto theft or attempted theft were reported in Troy; in 2011, that number rose to 140 incidents, according to Officer Andrew Breidenich, public information officer for the .

So which vehicles are most likely to be stolen? Here's a look at auto theft statistics from 2011:

Michigan's most stolen vehicles

  1.    2000 Dodge Ram Pickup

  2.    1999 Dodge Ram Pickup

  3.    2002 Dodge Ram Pickup

  4.    1998 Ford Pickup

  5.    1997 Dodge Ram Pickup

  6.    1998 Dodge Ram Pickup

  7.    2003 Dodge Ram Pickup

  8.    1996 Chevrolet Pickup

  9.    1999 Ford Pickup

10.    1997 Chevrolet Pickup

Thieves' favorite choices

       Color

        Month

  Day of Week

  1.   Black

  1.  November

 1.   Tuesday

  2.   White

  2.  December

 2.   Monday

  3.   Red

  3.  October

 3.   Thursday

  4.   Blue

  4.  September 

 4.   Wednesday

  5.   Silver

  5.  August

 5.   Friday

  6.   Green

  6.  July

 6.   Saturday

  7.   Gray

  7.  June

 7.   Sunday

  8.   Maroon

  8.  May

  9.   Gold

  9.  April

10.   Tan

10.  March

The ATPA is funded by an annual $1 assessment on each insured noncommercial passenger vehicle, plus interest earned by investing those funds.  It is governed by a seven-member board of directors appointed by the Governor, which includes representatives of law enforcement, automobile insurers and consumers of automobile insurance.  Each year the board awards grants to law enforcement agencies, prosecutors' offices and nonprofit community organizations to prevent auto theft, catch auto thieves and put the thieves in jail.