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Most Gulf Coast areas are relatively safe zones when it comes to pesky car thieves.
Punta Gorda, for example, has the lowest car theft rate per capita in the state, at 82.6, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau's 2016 Hot Spots report. The report is based on vehicle theft data from the National Crime Information Center for every MSA nationwide. Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, at 85.92, is the second-lowest in Florida.
Both areas, along with North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, are in the lower half of the study nationally in car theft rates. And all of Florida, even the most theft prone area, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, can celebrate in comparison to California. That state is home to eight of the top 10 hot spots nationwide, including Modesto, Bakersfield and Salinas.
The NICB report points out that because it's a population-based survey, a small city with a moderate theft count can have a higher rate than a large city with more actual thefts. That larger city has more people to absorb the thefts.
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