Auto Theft On Rise In North Texas; 1 Stolen Every 54 Minutes In Dallas

A vehicle is reported stolen in Dallas on average every 54 minutes and the problem is getting worse. While overall property crime in North Texas is down, auto thefts in Dallas have increased more than 18 percent in the past year. Reports of stolen vehicles in Fort Worth are slightly down from a year ago but are up 19 percent from just two years ago. Investigators point to keys being left inside vehicles as the reason for the increase. Sergeant Bryan Roden, who heads up the Dallas police auto theft unit, said four out of every ten cars stolen this past year in the city had the keys left inside.