10:01am | The Los Angeles, Long Beach and Santa Ana metropolitan area had the 23rd highest rate of auto thefts in the nation in 2010, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
The report ranks 366 major metropolitan areas nationwide by the number of auto thefts per 100,000 people based on preliminary crime data released by the FBI.
A total of 53,464 cars were stolen in the local metropolitan area, for a rate of about 417 cars per 100,000 people. In 2008, the rate was 540 car thefts per 100,000.
The report shows that the number of vehicles stolen throughout the country declined last year for the seventh consecutive year, which the report credits to police efforts and anti-theft devices.
Eight of the 10 areas with the highest auto theft rates in the country are in California, with Fresno coming in at No. 1.