The scourge of car theft affects certain departments more than others. Who is most concerned?
Have you ever experienced the anxiety of discovering that your car has been stolen? This scourge affects many French people every year, generating frustration and complications. Indeed, according to data from the National Observatory of Delinquency and Criminal Responses (ONDRP), significant differences appear in the figures for car thefts in France, revealing an alarming problem in certain departments, while others are significantly less affected.
The North and Bouches-du-Rhône stand out for high numbers of car thefts, with 5,738 and 5,995 thefts recorded respectively, or around 478 and 500 thefts per month. In contrast, departments like Creuse and Hautes-Alpes show much lower figures, with 41 and 101 car thefts in 2020, or around 3.4 and 8.4 thefts per month.
When we adjust these figures according to population, Bouches-du-Rhône shows the highest rate with 2.83 thefts per 1,000 inhabitants. The Nord department, for its part, has a rate of 1.64 thefts per 1,000 inhabitants. These rates are significantly higher than those of less populated departments like Creuse and Hautes-Alpes, where the theft rates per 1,000 inhabitants are 0.35 and 0.72 respectively.
Among the best-known French departments, Paris, Rhône, Gironde and Alpes-Maritimes also show interesting variations in terms of car thefts. The Rhône recorded the highest number of thefts with a total of 3,370, representing a rate of 1.8 thefts per 1,000 inhabitants, a sign of significant criminal pressure in this urban region. Gironde follows with 2,069 thefts, or a rate of 1.29 per 1,000 inhabitants, reflecting similar issues in this dynamic area. The Alpes-Maritimes and Paris, although very busy with tourists, have lower figures, with 878 and 1,784 flights respectively, and rates of 0.80 for both, suggesting that despite a large influx, they are less affected.
These figures are from 2020, the last year for which we analyzed the figures. The new figures for more recent years will make it possible to see if these trends have been confirmed or if certain departments have managed to stem the wave of crime which has hit them hard. They will also make it possible to see if new departments are affected by car theft.