US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011 (Public

Date: July 24, 2012
Regarding: US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011 (Public Dissemination)
Prepared By: Andrea McLain, Strategic Analyst
Introduction
Through the year of 2011, there were a total of 6,070 watercraft thefts within the US. Of these thefts, 2,406
(40%) were recovered by May 14th, 2012, while 3,664 watercrafts (60%) remain at large. This ForeCASTSM
Report analyzes the 6,070 watercraft thefts and the corresponding recoveries with information reported to the
United States (US) Federal Bureau of Investigation‟s (FBI) National Crime Information Center (NCIC). There
are 3 main sections to this report: The Watercrafts, Geographic Analysis, and Temporal Analysis. The
Watercrafts section analyzes the 2011 watercraft thefts and corresponding recoveries by manufacturer, boat
type, manufacturer and boat type combined, propulsion type, and boat type and propulsion type combined.
The Geographic Analysis section analyzes the 2011 watercraft thefts and corresponding recoveries by state
and by city. The Temporal Analysis section analyzes the 2011 watercraft thefts and recoveries by year, month,
weekday, and the number of days between the theft date and the recovery date. The report concludes with a
summary of the main points and recommendations.
Methodology
Theft parameters were all watercrafts stolen from January 1st, 2011 through December 31st, 2011 in the United
States (US) that were reported to NCIC. Corresponding recovery information was also collected from NCIC
between 01/01/2011 and 05/14/2012, and included thefts recovered outside of the US. Additionally, the NCIC
data for 2011 was edited in the following manner: records were classified as watercrafts when the NCIC file
number began with a “B”, therefore, all records with a file number that did not begin with a “B” were removed;
records with only watercraft parts, such as engines, trailers, etc. were removed; records that did not identify a
Hull Identification Number (HIN) were removed; duplicate records, or those with the same HIN and date of
theft, were removed; records that included the word “Test” or “Training” anywhere in their data fields were
removed.
NCIC can be considered one of the most reliable and comprehensive sources for watercraft theft and recovery
data, as it is a centralized database where local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies throughout the
US report crime information. Although the source is reliable, many validity issues still arise from inaccuracies
or incomplete information within each individual theft record, which bring about limitations in the data. Of all
6,070 thefts in 2011: 15% did not provide a manufacturer name, 49% did not give information on the boat type,
and 35% did not provide a propulsion type. To provide the most valuable information to all watercraft theft
stakeholders, any “Miscellaneous”, “All Other”, or “Blank” categories were not included in charts, graphs, or
any analysis within this report, but all relevant calculations were performed from the premise of 6,070 thefts.
Throughout the charts and graphics in this report, with the exception of the maps, „Turquoise/Blue‟ relates to
theft information, while „Green‟ relates to recovery information. Also, all percentages were rounded to the
nearest whole number. Additionally, when there is a tie between categories in a Top 10 list, they are listed
alphabetically with shared rank numbers, and then the following rank will increase by 2. For example, if there
is a tie for rank 3, both will be ranked third, and followed by rank 5.
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
Page 2 of 19
July 24, 2012
Section 1: The Watercrafts
The watercrafts subsections breakdown the 2011 watercraft thefts and corresponding recoveries by the Top 10
manufacturers, the Top 10 boat types, the Top 10 manufacturer and boat type combinations, the 6 propulsion
types, and the Top 9 boat type and propulsion type combinations.
2011 Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries by Manufacturer
There were 590 different manufacturers identified in the 2011 watercraft theft and recovery data. The following
chart lists all manufacturers with 10 or more thefts in descending order from the greatest amount of watercraft
thefts to the least, and then includes corresponding recovery information. In the chart, The Top 10 stolen
manufacturers are labeled, listed in „Bold' font, and separated by a bar. Totaling 2,000 thefts, the Top 10
manufacturers comprise approximately 33% of all 2011 watercraft thefts. The most stolen manufacturer was
“Yamaha”, with 537 thefts, and of the Top 10, “Starcraft Marine LLC” and “Polaris Industries” tied for the
greatest recovery rate of 46%. The Top 10 manufacturer with the lowest recovery rate was “Old Town Canoe
Co”, as only 19 out of 86 (22%) stolen “Old Town Canoe Co” watercrafts were recovered.
2011 Watercraft Theft and Corresponding Recoveries by Manufacturer
Thefts
Recoveries
Recovery
Rate1
Yamaha
537
183
34%
Bombardier Corp
522
178
34%
Kawasaki Motors Mfg
196
71
36%
Alumacraft Boat Co
148
43
Bayliner Marine
129
Starcraft Marine LLC
114
Tracker Marine L.P.
Top 10 Manufacturers
Manufacturer
1
Thefts
Recoveries
Recovery
Rate
Midwest Seat Mfg Co In
20
10
50%
Prototype Custom Boats
20
11
55%
Avon Rubber Co.
19
9
47%
29%
Gheen Manufacturing
19
10
53%
53
41%
Hydra-Sports Inc
19
7
37%
52
46%
Achilles Inflatables Craft
18
4
22%
Manufacturer
102
34
33%
Chaparral Boats Inc
18
5
28%
Lowe Industries
86
26
30%
Stratos Boats Inc
18
12
67%
Old Town Canoe Co
86
19
22%
Mastercraft Boat Co.
17
9
53%
Polaris Ind.
80
37
46%
Ouchita Mrne&Ind Corp
17
6
35%
Sea Nymph Inc
78
21
27%
Crestliner Inc
16
7
44%
Sears Roebuck & Company
76
13
17%
Sterling Yachts, Inc
16
10
63%
Sea Ray Boats, Inc.
72
41
57%
Hobie Cat Company
15
7
47%
Pelican International Inc
65
26
40%
Magna Engineered Systems
15
1
7%
Boston Whaler Inc
60
32
53%
Maurell Products Inc
15
10
67%
Smoker-Craft
60
21
35%
Raider Boats
14
11
79%
Tracker Seacraft Of Fl
54
26
48%
Spectrum
14
3
21%
Brunswick Marine Monark
45
20
44%
Angler Boat Corp
13
7
54%
Lund Boat Division
41
21
51%
Champion Boats
13
6
46%
Wellcraft Marine Corp
41
26
63%
Four Winns (Omc)
13
6
46%
Florida Homemade Boats
38
20
53%
Jammar Welding
13
5
38%
Ranger Boats
37
18
49%
Mercury Marine
13
7
54%
Polar Kraft Mfg Co
34
13
38%
Caterpillar
12
3
25%
Landau Boat Co
31
4
13%
Ebbtide Corp
12
7
58%
Glastron Boats
30
19
63%
K L Industries
12
6
50%
Fmc Corp.
29
11
38%
Key West Boats Inc
12
7
58%
Noah Corporation
29
6
21%
Reinell Boats, Inc.
12
3
25%
All recovery rates throughout this report were calculated by dividing the number of corresponding recoveries by the number of thefts.
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
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July 24, 2012
Manufacturer
Thefts
Recoveries
Recovery
Rate1
Manufacturer
Thefts
Recoveries
Recovery
Rate
Ocean Kayak Inc
29
6
21%
Schat Watercraft Inc
12
3
25%
Grumman Allied Ind Inc
28
13
46%
West Marine Products
12
5
42%
Perception Kayaks Inc
28
7
25%
Alweld Commercial Boats
11
3
27%
The Coleman Co Inc
28
6
21%
Blue Water Boats Inc
11
6
55%
Triton Industries Inc
27
9
33%
Contender Boats Inc
11
7
64%
Carolina Skiff Inc
26
13
50%
Correct Craft Inc
11
5
45%
Sylvan Marine
26
13
50%
Gregor Boat Company
11
6
55%
C & C Manufacturing Inc
25
9
36%
Mako Marine Intl Inc
11
5
45%
Wilderness Systems
25
5
20%
Seastrike Boats
11
6
55%
Alumaweld Boats
24
10
42%
Aint Perfect Boat Co
10
3
30%
AMF Crestliner
24
10
42%
American Composites
10
4
40%
Zodiac of North America
24
7
29%
Bayou Boats
10
6
60%
Grumman Boats Inc
23
5
22%
Chris Craft
10
1
10%
Semperit Industrial Pr
23
6
26%
Crownline Boats Inc
10
6
60%
Larson Boats
22
12
55%
Dagger Canoe Co
10
1
10%
Northport Inc
21
7
33%
Hondo Boats
10
2
20%
Pro Line Boat Company
21
13
62%
Mad River Canoe Co Inc
10
3
30%
Sierra Boat Co
21
9
43%
Sea Fox Boat Company
10
6
60%
Skeeter Products
21
11
52%
Sea Witch Marine
10
8
80%
20
12
60%
Waco Mfg Inc
10
2
20%
Godfrey Marine Co
(Recoveries: 2011 – 05/14/2012)
2011 Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries by Boat Type
There were 44 different boat types identified in the 2011 watercraft theft and recovery data. The following list
ranks the Top 10 stolen boat types with the corresponding recovery information and sample photos2. Totaling
3,043 thefts, the Top 10 stolen boat types comprise approximately 50% of all 2011 watercraft thefts. The boat
type most frequently stolen was the “Jet Ski3”, with 1,219 thefts. Of the Top 10, the “Hovercraft” had the
greatest recovery rate, as 11 out of 14 (79%) stolen “Hovercrafts” were recovered. The Top 10 boat type with
the lowest recovery rate was the “Utility”, as only 149 out of 437 (34%) stolen “Utility” boats were recovered.
For additional information on the Top 10 boat types per theft state, refer to Page 9 of this report.
1. Jet Ski
 2011 Thefts: 1,219
 Recoveries: 428
 Recovery Rate: 35%
2. Runabout
 2011 Thefts: 992
 Recoveries: 471
 Recovery Rate: 47%
2
Sample photos are not of actual stolen watercrafts. All pictures were copied from Google Images to provide just one general example of what each of
the Top 10 boat types may look like.
3
For purposes of this report, the term “Jet Ski” is synonymous with Sea Doo and Wave Runner.
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
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July 24, 2012
3. Utility
 2011 Thefts: 437
 Recoveries: 149
 Recovery Rate: 34%
4. Cruiser
 2011 Thefts: 255
 Recoveries: 137
 Recovery Rate: 54%
5. Sailboat
 2011 Thefts: 60
 Recoveries: 36
 Recovery Rate: 60%
6. Airboat
 2011 Thefts: 23
 Recoveries: 16
 Recovery Rate: 70%
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
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July 24, 2012
7. Commercial
 2011 Thefts: 21
 Recoveries: 13
 Recovery Rate: 62%
8. Houseboat
 2011 Thefts: 14
 Recoveries: 6
 Recovery Rate: 43%
9. Hovercraft
 2011 Thefts: 14
 Recoveries: 11
 Recovery Rate: 79%
10. Yacht
 2011 Thefts: 8
 Recoveries: 4
 Recovery Rate: 50%
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
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July 24, 2012
2011 Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries by Manufacturer and Boat Type Combined
There were 668 different combinations of manufacturers and boat types in the 2011 watercraft theft and
recovery data. The following graph displays the Top 10 stolen manufacturer and boat type combinations with
the corresponding recovery information. Totaling 1,235 thefts, the Top 10 stolen combinations of
manufacturers and boat types comprise approximately 20% of all 2011 watercraft thefts. The manufacturer
and boat type combination most frequently stolen was the “Yamaha - Jet Ski”, with 425 thefts. Of the Top 10,
the “Sea Ray Boats Inc - Runabout” had the highest recovery rate, as 14 out of 21 (67%) stolen “Sea Ray
Boats Inc – Runabouts” were recovered. The Top 10 manufacturer and boat type combination with the lowest
recovery rate was the “Alumacraft Boat Co. - Utility”, as only 3 out of 23 (13%) stolen “Alumacraft Boat Co. Utility” watercrafts were recovered.
2011 Top 10 Stolen Manufacturer and Boat Type Combinations
(Recoveries: 2011 – 05/14/2012)
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
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July 24, 2012
2011 Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries by Propulsion Type
There were 6 different propulsion types recognized in the 2011 watercraft theft and recovery data, and 3,957
theft records (65%) included one of these propulsion types. The following chart details 2011 watercraft theft
and recovery information for the 6 propulsion types. Watercrafts with “Outboard” propulsion were stolen most
frequently, with 2,117 thefts. Of the 6 propulsion types, “Sail with Auxiliary Inboard Power” had the highest
recovery rate, as 7 out of 11 (64%) stolen watercrafts with “Sail with Auxiliary Inboard Power” propulsion were
recovered. The propulsion type with the lowest recovery rate was “Manual”, as only 111 out of 496 (22%)
stolen watercrafts with “Manual” propulsion were recovered.
2011 Watercraft Thefts by Propulsion Type
Propulsion Type
Thefts Recoveries Recovery Rate
2,117
938
Outboard
44%
1,293
509
Inboard
39%
496
111
Manual
22%
35
19
Sail Only
54%
11
7
Sail with Auxiliary Outboard Power
64%
5
4
Sail with Auxiliary Inboard Power
80%
Totals
3,957
1,588
40%
(Recoveries: 2011 – 05/14/2012)
2011 Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries by Boat Type and Propulsion Type Combined
There were 47 different combinations of boat types and propulsion types in the 2011 watercraft theft and
recovery data. The following chart displays the Top 9 stolen boat type and propulsion type combinations with
the corresponding recovery information. Totaling 2,156 thefts, the Top 9 stolen combinations of boat types and
propulsion types comprise approximately 36% of all 2011 watercraft thefts. The boat type and propulsion type
combination most frequently stolen was the “Jet Ski - Inboard”, with 692 thefts. Of the Top 9, “Sailboat - Sail
Only” had the highest recovery rate, as 16 out of 27 (59%) of “Sailboat - Sail Only” thefts were recovered. The
Top 9 boat type and propulsion type combination with the lowest recovery rate was the “Utility - Manual”, as
only 3 out of 19 (16%) of “Utility - Manual” thefts were recovered.
2011 Top 9 Stolen Boat Type and Propulsion Type Combinations
Boat Type and Propulsion Type Combined Thefts Recoveries Recovery Rate
692
210
Jet Ski - Inboard
30%
628
296
Runabout - Outboard
47%
280
102
Utility - Outboard
36%
223
108
Runabout - Inboard
48%
114
56
Cruiser - Outboard
49%
103
57
Cruiser - Inboard
55%
51
26
Jet Ski - Outboard
51%
27
16
Sailboat - Sail Only
59%
19
7
Utility - Inboard
37%
19
3
Utility - Manual
16%
Totals
2,156
881
41%
(Recoveries: 2011 – 05/14/2012)
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
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July 24, 2012
Section 2: Geographic Analysis
The first Geographic Analysis subsection analyzes the 2011 watercraft thefts and corresponding recoveries by
state, which is separated into 3 parts: the 2011 watercraft thefts and corresponding recoveries by all theft
states, including Washington DC (DC); the 2011 watercraft thefts per state by the Top 10 boat types; and
geographic patterns where the recovery state, including Puerto Rico (PR), differed from the theft state. The
final Geographic Analysis subsection lists the 2011 watercraft thefts and corresponding recoveries for the Top
10 theft cities.
2011 Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries by State
All 6,070 2011 watercraft thefts reported a theft state, while 2,262 out of 2,404 recoveries (94%) reported a
recovery state. With the exception of Hawaii, a watercraft theft occurred in every state, including DC. The
following chart lists the US states in descending order from the greatest amount of watercraft thefts to the
least, and then includes corresponding recovery information4 for all recovered watercrafts stolen from that
state. In the chart, The Top 10 theft states are labeled, listed in „Bold' font, and separated by a bar. Totaling
3,639 thefts, the Top 10 theft states comprise approximately 60% of all 2011 watercraft thefts. The state with
the greatest amount of stolen watercrafts was “FL”, with 1,322 thefts. Of the Top 10 theft states, “WA” had
greatest recovery rate, as 111 out of 224 (48%) watercrafts stolen from “WA” were recovered. With a recovery
rate of 34%, “MI” and “TN” tied as the Top 10 theft state with the lowest recovery rate.
Top 10 Theft States
2011 Watercraft Thefts and Corresponding Recoveries (2011 – 05/14/2012) by Theft State
4
State Thefts Recoveries Recovery Rate
FL
1,322
498
38%
CA
550
265
48%
TX
437
175
40%
WA
224
111
50%
NC
205
72
35%
MI
186
63
34%
GA
182
74
41%
TN
181
62
34%
AL
177
66
37%
SC
175
65
37%
172
62
LA
36%
158
63
MN
40%
150
42
AR
28%
125
50
MO
40%
121
50
AZ
41%
116
44
IN
38%
115
47
OH
41%
111
44
OK
40%
111
40
WI
36%
104
44
NY
42%
95
IL
22
23%
89
28
PA
31%
85
46
OR
54%
83
38
MD
46%
79
31
VA
39%
75
26
NJ
35%
State Thefts Recoveries Recovery Rate
73
28
MS
38%
65
24
ME
37%
60
23
KY
38%
48
20
KS
42%
39
17
MA
44%
38
25
NV
66%
37
15
CO
41%
36
11
CT
31%
36
19
UT
53%
32
8
IA
25%
28
17
NE
61%
21
10
NH
48%
20
8
WV
40%
18
6
RI
33%
17
9
ID
53%
16
6
NM
38%
13
6
AK
46%
12
4
VT
33%
10
7
MT
70%
8
5
DE
63%
5
ND
2
40%
4
2
DC
50%
4
2
SD
50%
2
2
WY
100%
0
0
HI
NA
Totals 6,070
2,404
40%
The recovery information for this section corresponds to the thefts per state, as to provide accurate recovery rates. If a watercraft was recovered in a
state different than where it was stolen, it was still counted in the recovery information for the theft state as opposed to the recovery state.
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
Page 9 of 19
July 24, 2012
The following chart alphabetically lists each theft state with the number of thefts categorized by the Top 10
boat types. The boat type and state with the most thefts was highlighted in yellow, and an asterisk was used to
denote a tie between states. “FL” was the state with the most thefts for Jet Skis (339), Runabouts (148),
Cruisers (66), Airboats (17), and Commercial boats (9). “TX” had the most thefts for Utility boats (47) and
Houseboats (3). The greatest number Sailboats (16) were stolen in “CA”. Additionally, “CA” and “FL” tied with
the greatest amount of Yacht thefts (3). The information in this chart is visually displayed in a US map on the
following page.
2011 Watercraft Thefts per State by the Top 10 Boat Types
State
AK
AL
AR
AZ
CA
CO
CT
DC
DE
FL
GA
IA
ID
IL
IN
KS
KY
LA
MA
MD
ME
MI
MN
MO
MS
NC
ND
NE
NH
NJ
NM
NV
NY
OH
OK
OR
PA
RI
SC
SD
TN
TX
UT
VA
VT
WA
WI
WV
WY
Totals
Jet Ski
4
30
33
39
126
11
4
3
1
339
44
1
3
16
23
13
15
4
15
2
52
10
20
8
36
7
16
4
3
13
23
30
14
6
2
34
32
115
9
9
30
16
3
1
Runabout
6
40
23
38
109
2
1
2
148
18
6
2
12
9
4
6
38
7
19
6
16
59
18
21
35
1
7
2
3
2
9
16
3
12
11
10
2
23
1
32
74
4
6
2
111
15
1
-
Utility
5
13
9
18
1
2
30
16
5
2
8
4
11
35
2
6
3
15
6
29
13
37
2
2
2
1
8
4
14
7
10
2
15
19
47
5
5
5
18
1
-
Cruiser
4
2
5
57
1
66
10
2
1
5
1
1
1
3
4
1
13
1
3
3
11
1
5
3
4
2
6
8
2
1
5
4
15
2
2
-
Sailboat
2
2
16
12
1
1
1
2
1
2
1
6
1
1
2
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
-
Airboat
1
1
17
1
1
1
1
-
Commercial
5
9
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
-
Houseboat
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
3
1
-
Hovercraft
1
1
2
10
-
Yacht
*3
*3
1
1
-
1219
992
437
255
60
23
21
14
14
8
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
Page 10 of 19
July 16, 2012
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
Page 11 of 19
July 16, 2012
According to the 2,262 records that provided both a theft state and a recovery state, 2,219 watercrafts were
recovered in the same state they were stolen from, while 43 were recovered in a state different than where
they were stolen. In instances where the recovery state differed from the theft state, there were 29 different
combinations of theft states and recovery states identified. PR reported 7 recoveries of watercrafts that were
stolen throughout different US states: 4 from ME, 1 from MD, 1 from MO, and 1 from TN. No additional
significant patterns were identified within the 29 combinations of recovery states that differed from the theft
state.
2011 Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries by Theft City
Exactly 6,067 records out of 6,070 watercraft thefts (just under 100%) reported a theft city, while 2,252 records
out of 2,406 recoveries (94%) reported a recovery city. There were 2,014 different theft cities identified in the
2011 watercraft theft and recovery data. Totaling 590 thefts, the Top 10 theft cities comprise approximately
10% of all 2011 watercraft thefts. The theft city with the greatest amount of stolen watercrafts was “Miami, FL”,
with 210 thefts. Of the Top 10 theft cities, “Fort Lauderdale, FL” had the highest recovery rate, as 35 out of 59
(59%) watercrafts stolen from “Fort Lauderdale, FL” were recovered. The Top 10 theft city with the lowest
recovery rate was “Hialeah, FL”, as only 6 out of 35 (17%) of watercrafts stolen from “Hialeah, FL” were
recovered. Additionally, 6 of the Top 10 theft cities were located in Florida, including the first 4.
The following chart displays the number of watercraft thefts with the corresponding recovery information5 for
the Top 10 theft cities. Theft rates6 were also included for the Top 10 watercraft theft cities. The theft city with
the highest theft rate was “Marathon, FL”, as the number of 2011 watercraft thefts per 1,000 inhabitants was
6.03. The theft rate in “Marathon, FL” is significantly higher than the remaining Top 10 theft cities, and may be
considered a watercraft theft hotspot. The second highest theft rate was 0.53 per 1,000 inhabitants in “Miami,
FL”. “Houston, TX” and “Phoenix, AZ” tied with the lowest theft rate of 0.02 per 1,000 inhabitants.
2011 Watercraft Theft and Recoveries: Top 10 Theft Cities
City, State
Thefts Recoveries Recovery Rate Theft Rate
210
59
Miami, FL
28%
0.53
59
35
Fort Lauderdale, FL
59%
0.36
50
25
Marathon, FL
50%
6.03
48
10
Tampa, FL
21%
0.14
41
8
Houston, TX
20%
0.02
40
20
Sacramento, CA
50%
0.09
40
21
Seattle, WA
53%
0.07
35
6
Hialeah, FL
17%
0.16
34
12
Phoenix, AZ
35%
0.02
33
12
West Palm Beach, FL
36%
0.33
(Recoveries: 2011 – 05/14/2012)
The following pages contain 2 US maps for comparative purposes; the first map displays theft states and theft
cities, while the next displays recovery states and recovery cities. The recovery map displays all recoveries
per state and per city regardless of the theft location, and is therefore not corresponding to the amount of thefts
per state and per city. For both maps, the states are color coded in 6 ranges of watercraft thefts or recoveries
set by natural breaks (Jenks). The cities are categorized in 4 ranges, also set by natural breaks, but the
ranges are differentiated by increasing sizes as opposed to color.
5
The recovery information for this section corresponds to the thefts per city, as to provide accurate recovery rates. If a watercraft was recovered in a
city different than where it was stolen, it was counted in the recovery information for the theft city.
6
Watercraft theft rates by city were calculated by dividing the number of thefts within a city by the cities’ population and then multiplying that result by
1,000. The result was rounded to the nearest hundredth, or 2 decimal places. Population per city was retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/, which
used data from the 2010 US census.
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
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July 16, 2012
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
Page 13 of 19
July 16, 2012
(Recoveries: 2011 – 05/14/2012)
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
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July 16, 2012
Section 3: Temporal Analysis
The first Temporal Analysis subsection compares the 2011 watercraft thefts and recoveries to the years of
2009 and 2010. The next 2 subsections breakdown the 2011 watercraft thefts and recoveries by all 12 months
in 2011, and by 2011 averages for all 7 weekdays. Then, the last subsection analyzes the number of
watercraft thefts recovered within 9 days of the theft date, and then the average number of days between
watercraft theft dates and the corresponding recovery dates per state and geographic region.
2009-2011 Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries by Year
NICB‟s “Watercraft Theft Report: 2009 through May 2011” by Strategic Analyst Erin Dugan also used the exact
same data cleaning methods on NCIC watercraft theft and recovery records, and is thus comparable to the
20117 data of this report. The following graph uses the 2009 and 2010 watercraft theft and recovery
information from this previous report to provide a 3 year trend analysis on watercraft thefts and recoveries from
2009, 2010, and 2011. Throughout these last 3 years, watercraft thefts, corresponding recoveries, and the
recovery rate have been steadily declining. The number of watercraft thefts decreased by 10% between 2009
and 2010, and 9% between 2010 and 2011. But, the number of watercraft recoveries declined in greater
amounts, as recoveries decreased by 18% between 2009 and 2010, and 17% between 2010 and 2011.
Watercraft Thefts and Corresponding Recoveries by Year: 2009, 2010, and 2011
7
To be equally comparable to the recovery data of 2009 and 2010, the 2011 corresponding recoveries were only counted through December 31st, 2011.
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
Page 15 of 19
July 24, 2012
2011 Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries by Month
The following graph displays the amount of watercraft thefts and recoveries for every month in 2011. The
percentage change is also labeled in between each month for both thefts and recoveries. Watercraft thefts
formed a bell curve shape that reached its highest peak in June, with 792 thefts. The greatest increase in
watercraft thefts was +41% between February and March, and thefts continued to increase from February
through June. After the peak in June, watercraft thefts steadily decreased through the remainder of the year,
and the greatest decrease was -31% between September and October. August was the month with the
greatest amount of recoveries, with 303. The greatest increase in watercraft recoveries was +58% between
May and June, while the greatest decrease was -26% between August and September. Also, with 281 thefts
and 129 recoveries, December is the month with the lowest amount of thefts, and tied with February for the
lowest amount of recoveries.
2011 Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries by Month8
-2%
-10%
+25
-18%
+35%
-14%
Thefts
+13%
-31%
+41%
-3%
+1%
+2%
-17%
-26%
+58%
-14%
-10%
-16%
+45%
-9%
-20%
+9%
Recoveries
8
This graph does not display watercraft recovery information after December 31 st, 2011.
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
Page 16 of 19
July 24, 2012
2011 Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries by Weekday
The following graph displays the average amount of watercraft thefts and recoveries per weekday9 in 2011.
The greatest amount of watercraft thefts occurred on Friday, with an average of 940 thefts, followed by
Saturday, with an average of 917 thefts. Wednesday had the lowest amount of watercraft thefts, with an
average of 809. The greatest amount of watercraft recoveries occurred on Wednesday, with an average of
417 recoveries, followed by Monday, with an average of 400 recoveries. Although Saturday was the 2nd top
weekday for watercraft thefts, it had the lowest amount of recoveries with an average of 228.
The Average Number of 2011 Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries by Weekday
(Recoveries: 2011 – 05/14/2012)
9
This information may be skewed as some records likely provide the reported theft date opposed to the actual theft date.
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
Page 17 of 19
July 24, 2012
2011 Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries:
Analysis of the Number of Days Between Theft Date and Recovery Date
The following chart displays the number of watercraft thefts that were recovered within 9 days after the date of
theft. A column for the total percentage recovered was also included by dividing the number of stolen
watercrafts by the total amount of recoveries, 2,406. The total number of stolen watercrafts that were
recovered within 9 days was 1,220, or approximately 51% of all recoveries. With a count of 302 watercrafts, 0
days, or same day recovery, was the most common.
The Number of Watercraft Thefts Recovered Within 9 Days
Number of
Number of
Total Percentage
Days to Recovery Stolen Watercrafts
Recovered
0
302
13%
1
265
11%
2
170
7%
3
118
5%
4
100
4%
5
54
2%
6
70
3%
7
53
2%
8
50
2%
9
38
2%
Totals
1,220
51%
(Recoveries: 2011 – 05/14/2012)
The map on the following page displays the average number of days between a watercraft theft date and the
corresponding recovery date by state. As only averages for “corresponding” recoveries per state were
calculated, records where the recovery state differed from the theft state were removed from analysis. The
states are separated and color coded by the 5 basic US geographic regions as defined by US K-12 Social
Studies/Geography curriculum10: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, West, and Southwest. The averages per
region were also calculated from the individual NCIC records, and are listed next to the region name. The
region with the shortest average number of days between the theft date and recovery date was the Northeast
with an average of 33 days. The Midwest and the Southwest tied at an average of 55 days as the regions with
the longest number of days to recovery.
10
Web resources that were used to define the 5 US geographic regions include:
http://www.nashua.edu/novakc/regions/region.htm
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/multimedia/united-states-regions/?ar_a=1&ar_r=999
http://cg043.k12.sd.us/regions%20of%20the%20US%20webquest/regions_of_the_united_states_web.htm
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
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(Recoveries: 2011 – 05/14/2012)
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2011
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July 16, 2012
Conclusion
Based on the findings of this report, the watercraft most likely to be stolen is a Yamaha Jet Ski with inboard
propulsion; 164 thefts have this combination of manufacturer, boat type, and propulsion type. Twenty-two
percent (22%) of all 2011 watercraft thefts occurred in FL, followed by CA with 9%, and TX with 7%. The Top
3 theft cities were all from FL: Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Marathon. Marathon, FL is a potential watercraft
hotspot, with a theft rate of 6.03 per 1,000 inhabitants. Also, approximately 37% of all 2011 watercraft thefts
occurred during the months of June, July, and August. Based upon the number of stolen watercrafts
recovered by May 14th, 2012, there is a 40% chance of recovery. Of the 2,406 recoveries, approximately 92%
were recovered in the same theft state. Also, approximately 51% of all watercraft recoveries were recovered
within 9 days after the theft date.
Another key point from this ForeCAST is that watercraft recoveries have been decreasing over time at a faster
pace than watercraft thefts; from 2009 through 2011, watercraft thefts decreased 19% while the number of
recoveries decreased 32%. It is a common trend for crimes against property, specifically consumer products,
to decrease when the economy is slow11, so it is therefore anticipated that watercraft thefts will continue to
gradually decline until markets improve and watercraft sales increase. When the economy rises it is then
foreseeable that watercraft thefts will also increase, and recovery capabilities may become an area of concern.
In the furtherance of watercraft theft awareness and prevention, NICB brochure “Boat Theft: Leave Thieves in
Your Wake” suggests that boat owners should use a common sense approach to protect their watercrafts. The
suggested prevention methods tell boat owners to: “dock your craft in well-lit areas; secure your boat to the
dock with a locked steel cable; remove expensive equipment from your boat when not in use; lock the boat‟s
cabin, doors, and windows when not in use; remove registration or title papers in the craft; disable the boat
when not in use by shutting off fuel lines and removing the battery or distributor cap; install an alarm system
and a kill switch in the ignition system; use a trailer hitch lock after parking a boat on its trailer; park your trailer
in a locked garage, secured boat storage facility, or a well-lit, fenced area; ensure your marine insurance policy
includes your equipment, boat, and trailer. Also, to be prepared for the possibility of a watercraft theft, NICB
encourages boat owners to take photos of their boat, and to be sure that their boat and equipment are marked
with a HIN, a 12 character serial number that uniquely identifies every boat and will ultimately help law
enforcement with recovery efforts.
11
This fact can be further supported by the FBI Uniform Crime Reports (UCR). According to the overview of the 2010 UCR report on property crime,
located at http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/property-crime, property crime decreased 9.3% between
2006 and 2010.