HERMISTON — Oregon had the fourth highest rate of car theft among states and the District of Columbia in 2022, according to a ranking by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, a nonprofit organization that works to prevent and fight insurance crime.

According to the bureau’s October report, Oregon’s car theft rate in 2022 was 541 thefts per 100,000 residents — an increase from the previous year’s rate of 475 per 100,000 residents. Data from the FBI show a similar rate for Oregon, with 551 thefts per 100,000 people in 2022.

Colorado was ranked first, with a theft rate of 731 per 100,000 people. Washington, D.C., came in second at 700 thefts per 100,000 residents, and Washington state was just ahead of Oregon with 600 thefts per 100,000 residents.

The report did not include data specific to Eastern Oregon, although it did mention a 2022 theft rate of 796 per 100,000 residents in the municipal area including Portland, Hillsboro and Vancouver, Washington. That is an increase from a rate of 680 per 100,000 residents in 2021.

In a national ranking of municipal areas, the report lists Portland as fifth for highest car theft. The Portland Police Bureau’s 2022 annual report shows each of the bureau’s three precincts reported between 2,900 and 4,800 car thefts that year.

Based on data gathered from local law enforcement in Umatilla, Wallowa, Baker, Union and Morrow counties, the number of car thefts in Eastern Oregon tends to increase with population size. While theft numbers and population size are far lower in Eastern Oregon than in Portland, some areas do reflect a notable rate of car theft.

Of those five counties, Umatilla County had the highest number of reported car thefts in 2022, with the county sheriff’s office showing 114 reports of car theft. Morrow County had the highest rate of car theft at 366 thefts per 100,000 residents, based on a calculation done with U.S. Census data.

By the same calculation, using sheriff’s office numbers, Umatilla County had 142 car thefts per 100,000 people. That number does not include data from local police departments in the county.

Hermiston and Milton-Freewater had the highest number of car thefts in Umatilla County. The Hermiston Police Department’s 2022 annual report showed 49 car thefts that year, or 245 thefts per 100,000 residents, and the Milton-Freewater Police Department reported 36 car thefts in 2022, or 508 thefts per 100,000 people.

The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office also reported 49 car thefts in the Hermiston area in 2022, and 41 thefts for Milton-Freewater.

Umatilla Sheriff’s Office Capt. Paul Wolverton said Milton-Freewater’s higher population and location on the state border — near Walla Walla and College Place, with a combined population of about 45,000 — result in “somewhat higher” crime.

“We have people that steal from one side or the other (of the border), and then transport the stolen goods to the other side,” he said. “Makes it more difficult for law enforcement to prevent and be more proactive, in that aspect.”

Part of another crime

Wolverton said Hermiston, home to about 20,300 people, is currently the most populated municipal area in Umatilla County, but it also has a large rural area with industry. He said a trend of stolen vehicle cases in the Hermiston and Milton-Freewater areas includes vehicles being stolen as part of other crimes, such as a construction site vehicle being stolen to transport other stolen materials from the site.

Hermiston Police Chief Jason Edmiston said the number of stolen vehicles tends to ebb and flow, noting that 15 years ago there was one individual responsible for all Hermiston’s car thefts. He said criminals look for opportunities, especially during this time of year when people may leave vehicles unattended and unlocked while warming up.

In the past, there have been criminal rings targeting specific vehicles, Edmiston said, but most of what Hermiston experiences is crimes of opportunity.

Morrow County had the second highest number of car thefts, with the sheriff’s office showing 40 reported car thefts in 2022 and Boardman Police Department showing five reported car thefts. Combining the sheriff’s office and Boardman PD numbers, that is 366 thefts per 100,000 people.

Union County had the next highest rate of car theft at 191 thefts per 100,000 residents, or 50 thefts in 2022, based on data from the Union County Sheriff’s Office and La Grande Police Department.

Baker County had a rate of 112 thefts per 100,000, or a total of 19 thefts in 2022, according to data from the Baker City Police Department and Baker County Sheriff’s Office.

Wallowa County had a considerably lower car theft rate. The Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office reported four total thefts in 2022, and the Enterprise Police Department reported one theft. Combined, that is a rate of 65 thefts per 100,000 people.

With thieves often looking for an easy target, law enforcement recommends keeping vehicles locked and valuables out of sight. This is particularly relevant during the colder months when residents will warm up vehicles, leaving them running and unattended.

“Even locking (the vehicle), somebody can break your window, jump in and take off pretty quickly if your keys are in it,” Boardman Police Capt. Loren Dieter said.

Wolverton, of the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office, said it’s less common for cars to be hot-wired like in movies, and more common for thieves to steal cars with keys inside them, locked or not.

Wolverton said one way to protect idling vehicles is to keep them in the garage, with the garage door partially open to prevent a buildup of carbon monoxide.

He also recommended going out during normal business hours as much as possible, and if going somewhere at night, to park in a visible, lighted area. Parking near surveillance cameras is also a criminal deterrent, Wolverton said, as many criminals know which businesses have cameras and what areas the cameras capture.

Oregon car theft data highlights

• Car thefts per capita (2022): 551.5 | Ranked No. 3

• Number of car thefts (2022): 23,386 | Ranked No. 12

• Number of car thefts (2021): 20,112 | Ranked No. 13

• Change in car thefts from 2021: Increased by 16% | Ranked No. 14