Motorcycle thefts rise as auto thefts fall

The number of car thefts dropped by 5.8 percent last year compared to 2014, but the number of motorcycle and scooter theft increased by more than 5 percent, according to figures from the foundation for tackling vehicle crime AVc. The total number of vehicle theft dropped by 4.8 percent compared to the previous ear, amounting to less than 30 thousand stolen vehicles for the first time in years. "A nice milestone", according to AVc director Titus Visser. The foundation is a collaborative group that includes the police, judiciary, insurance companies and car dealers. The foundation noticed a remarkable decline in the theft of new cars (-14 percent), and partly attributes this to better alarm systems in newer cars. "Thieves now focus more on passenger cars that are between 4 to 8 years old", according to Visser. The number of thefts in this category increased by 16 percent. Thieves were also more focused on scooters and motorcycles last year. According to the foundation, this is partly due to the nice weather - if there are more motorcycles on the roads, more are also stolen. They are also easier to steal and to hide. Only 37.4 percent of stolen vehicles were recovered last year, compared to 39.6 percent in 2014. In the coming years the foundation will therefore focus more on recovering stolen vehicles.