GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Fewer drivers across the state are walking out to an empty parking space, and police in Gwinnett County are using the good news to remind people that a few basic habits still go a long way.
Officers there are telling drivers to lock their doors every time, park where the lighting is good and keep valuables out of sight. Those small steps can sharply cut the odds that a car is taken or broken into, the department says.
The drop is part of a national slide. Last year 659,880 vehicles were reported stolen across the country, a 23% decrease from 2024 and the lowest total in several decades, in figures compiled by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. That followed a 17% fall the year before.
The trend has carried into this year. Thefts in the first six months of 2026 ran 21% below the same stretch of 2025, with 268,415 vehicles reported stolen, and every state, Georgia included, posted a year-over-year decline. The national rate for the period worked out to roughly 77.81 thefts for every 100,000 people, and the District of Columbia saw the steepest drop at 52%.
Georgia also no longer ranks among the top states for car thefts. California still leads the country by volume, with 57,821 thefts in the first half of this year alone.
The same few models keep turning up on thieves’ lists, and the pattern is national rather than local. Nationally, the Hyundai Elantra was the most stolen vehicle in 2025, followed by the Honda Accord. Software updates and other anti-theft fixes have helped, though: Hyundai and Kia vehicles made up 14% of thefts last year, down from 21% in 2023.
Section: More Atlanta GA crime news
Filed under: Atlanta GA Crime News
