Have you ever had your car stolen? Do you know anyone who has had their vehicle boosted? The odds are you have. Car theft, especially along the states and cities that border our good friend to the south – Mexico, is quite common.

I would like to make sure you are aware that we are currently in National Vehicle Theft Protection Month! As reported in www.marketwatch.com.

The International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI) and LoJack Corporation are partnering to promote the annual National Vehicle Theft Protection Month. Throughout July, the top month of the year for vehicle theft, IAATI and LoJack are partnering to educate vehicle owners and raise public awareness of the issues and criminal behaviors around auto theft.

For those of you unfamiliar with Lojack, it is a small monitoring device placed discretely inside your vehicle that monitors its location through a microchip.

The summer months of July and August are the top months of the year for vehicle theft, which continues to be a significant problem throughout the United States. Despite the common misconception that theft is often a result of teenage joyriders, auto theft cases often involve professional thieves using sophisticated technology and techniques.

During July and August – the top months for auto theft – vehicle owners must embrace their shared responsibility in protecting their vehicles. Here are a few tidbits of information about stolen vehicles:

1. Many of today's car thieves are seasoned criminals whose main occupation is to make a profit from stealing vehicles.

2. Professional car thieves are often linked to large international crime rings that are more than happy to drive or export their new car outside of the U.S. and sell them to unsuspecting customers

3. Many vehicles stolen by professional thieves are taken to chop shops , where they are dismantled and then sold off as parts. Stolen auto parts account for millions of dollars a year in profits for criminals.

4. Criminals also look for an older vehicle that can be stolen and stripped for its parts, which can then be sold – piece by piece – to any local salvage yard or online.

We will continue to look at vehicle theft in subsequent blogs at stoptheftclass.com.