FBI: Motor Vehicle Thefts In New Mexico Up Around 36-Percent

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The FBI says motor vehicle thefts reported by New Mexico law enforcement agencies jumped around 36 percent in 2015 from the year before. New crime statistics released this week show the estimated number of motor vehicle thefts in New Mexico was 8,526, or a 35.5 percent surge from the 2014 estimate. That spike was well above the percentage increase nationally. The FBI says the estimated number of motor vehicle thefts in the nation was 707,758, or a 3.1 percent increase. Meanwhile, overall property crimes in New Mexico rose 4.4 percent last year while those crimes decreased nationwide. FBI says property crimes across the country dropped 2.6 percent, marking the 13th straight year the collective estimates for these offenses declined.