The National Insurance Crime Bureau released its latest report compiled from the data in the National Crime Information Center database for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report examines vessels reported stolen in 2012. There were 5,870 watercraft reported stolen during this period, a 3 percent decrease from 6,070 reported thefts in 2011. PWC were the most common type of vessel stolen. 6 out of 10 boats stolen have not been reported recovered to date. Of the thefts from 2012, 2,279, or approximately 39% were recovered by April 30 of 2013 while 3,591 watercrafts, or approximately 61%, remain unrecovered. Many stolen boats, especially those from Florida and the gulf coast end up being smuggled out of the country as these pictured boats end up at a government dock in Mexico after they are abandoned by the smugglers who stole them.
The top five states for thefts in 2012:
• Florida: 1,408 thefts
• California: 605
• Texas: 403
• Washington: 214
• North Carolina: 184
Top five types of boat stolen:
• Jet Ski: 1,373 thefts
• Runabouts: 937
• Utility: 360
• Cruisers: 251 (Large Powerboats are in this category)
• Sailboats: 42
The top five manufacturers for watercraft thefts:
• Yamaha: 659
• Bombardier Corp.: 355
• Kawasaki: 226
• Tracker Marine: 211
• Alumacraft: 133
Watch the NICB’s video here:
