US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2012

Date: 07/26/2013
Regarding: US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2012 (Public Dissemination)
Prepared By: Andrea McLain, Strategic Analyst
Introduction
Through the year of 2012, there was a total of 5,870 watercraft thefts within the US. Of these thefts,
2,279, or approximately 39% were recovered by April 30, 2013 while 3,591 watercrafts, or approximately 61%,
remain at large. This ForeCASTSM Report analyzes the 5,870 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 2012 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 2012 watercraft
thefts and corresponding recoveries by state and by city. The Temporal Analysis section analyzes the 2012
watercraft thefts and recoveries by 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
Data parameters were all watercrafts stolen from January 1st, 2012 through December 31st, 2012 in the
United States (US) that were reported to NCIC. Corresponding recovery information, meaning recoveries of
just the watercrafts stolen in 2012, was also collected from NCIC between 01/01/2012 and 04/30/2013, and
included thefts recovered outside of the US. Additionally, the NCIC data for 2012 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 5,870 thefts in 2012: 15% did not provide a manufacturer name, 24% did not give information on
the boat type, and 34% did not provide a propulsion type. To provide the most valuable information to all
watercraft theft stakeholders, any “Miscellaneous”, “All Other”, or “Not Identified” categories were not included
in any of the Top 10 analyses within this report, but all relevant calculations were performed from the premise
of 5,870 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 values 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: 2012 (Public Dissemination)
Date of Report
Page 2 of 3
Section 1: The Watercrafts
The watercrafts subsections breakdown the 2012 watercraft thefts and corresponding recoveries by the
Top 10 manufacturers, the 13 boat types recognized by NCIC, the Top 10 manufacturer and boat type
combinations, and the 6 propulsion types recognized by NCIC.
2012 Watercraft Thefts and Corresponding Recoveries by Manufacturer
There were 666 different manufacturers identified in the 2012 watercraft theft and recovery data. The
following table lists all manufacturers with 10 or more thefts with corresponding recovery information in
descending order by number of thefts. In the chart, The Top 10 stolen manufacturers are labeled, listed in
„Bold' font, and separated by a bar. Totaling 2,156 thefts, the Top 10 manufacturers comprised approximately
37% of all 2012 watercraft thefts. The manufacturer with the greatest amount of stolen watercrafts was
“Yamaha” with 659 thefts, and, of the Top 10, “Sea Ray Boats, Inc.” had the greatest recovery rate, which was
approximately 54%. “Old Town Canoe Co” was the Top 10 manufacturer with lowest recovery rate, which was
approximately 21%.
2012 Watercraft Theft and Corresponding Recoveries by Manufacturer
Thefts
Recoveries
Recovery
Rate
Thefts
Recoveries
Recovery
Rate
Yamaha
659
218
33%
Bombardier Corp
355
150
42%
Ocean Kayak Inc
17
5
29%
Stratos Boats Inc
17
8
Kawasaki Motors Mfg.
226
74
47%
33%
West Marine Products
17
6
Tracker Marine L.P.
211
35%
87
41%
Glastron Boats
16
10
63%
Alumacraft Boat Co
Perception Kayaks Inc
133
48
36%
Harris-Kayot Inc
16
10
63%
115
28
24%
Mastercraft Boat Co
16
12
75%
Bayliner Marine Corp
114
59
52%
NC Homemade Boats
16
6
38%
Old Town Canoe Co
104
22
21%
Valco Boats
16
9
56%
Polaris Ind.(Jetski)
87
21
24%
Crownline Boats Inc
15
7
47%
FL Homemade Boats
76
37
49%
Mako Marine Intl Inc
15
7
47%
Sea Ray Boats, Inc.
76
41
54%
Pro Line Boat Company
15
6
40%
Lowe Industries
65
27
42%
Mako Marine Intl Inc
15
7
47%
Pelican International Inc
65
18
28%
Malibu Boats Inc
14
7
50%
Starcraft Marine Llc
65
20
31%
Bennington Marine Corp
13
6
46%
Boston Whaler Inc.
48
28
58%
Cobalt Boats
13
10
77%
Sun
46
20
43%
Fineline (Boats)
13
10
77%
Carolina Skiff Inc
44
25
57%
Grady-White Boats,Inc.
13
7
54%
Highline Public School
40
14
35%
Key West Boats Inc
13
6
46%
Sea Nymph Inc
34
5
15%
Lake Woodcraft
13
4
31%
Chaparral Boats Inc
29
22
76%
Maverick Boat Company Inc
13
8
62%
Skeeter Products
29
14
48%
Sea Hunt Boat Mfg Co Inc
13
8
62%
Wellcraft Marine Corp
29
18
62%
Wilderness Systems
13
2
15%
Zodiac of North America
29
10
34%
Alweld Commercial Boats
12
4
33%
Giii Boats
28
7
25%
Angler Boat Corp
12
4
33%
Godfrey Marine Company
28
17
61%
Eliminator Boats Inc
12
5
42%
Lund Boat Division
28
12
43%
Gheen Manufacturing
12
6
50%
Grumman Allied Ind Inc
27
8
30%
Gregor Boat Company
12
5
42%
Four Winns Inc
25
10
40%
Hydra-Sports Inc
12
5
42%
Sea Fox Boat Company
24
11
46%
Indiana Homemade Boats
12
4
33%
C & C Manufacturing Inc
24
13
54%
Fountain Powerboats, Inc.
11
7
64%
Top 10 Manufacturers
Manufacturer
Manufacturer
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2012 (Public Dissemination)
Date of Report
Page 3 of 3
Manufacturer
Thefts
Recoveries
Recovery
Rate
Thefts
Recoveries
Recovery
Rate
Ranger Boats
24
10
42%
Arctic Cat Inc
22
8
Louisiana Homemade Boats
11
4
36%
36%
Montery Boats
11
7
Brunswick Marine Monark Div
22
9
64%
41%
Sleek Craft Boats
11
6
Fmc Corp.
22
55%
10
45%
Arrow Glass Boat Company
10
3
Leisure Life Ltd
30%
22
8
36%
Brown Cargo Van Inc
10
6
60%
Polar Kraft Mfg Co
22
8
36%
Charloma Fiberglass Inc
10
3
30%
The Coleman Co Inc
22
4
18%
Contender Boats Inc
10
3
30%
California Homemade Boats
21
13
62%
Cruising Catamarans, Inc
10
5
50%
Smoker-Craft Inc
20
11
55%
Custom Boat Repair
10
3
30%
Xpress Boat Company
20
5
25%
Donzi Marine
10
5
50%
Achilles Inflatables Craft
19
6
32%
Goldline Corp
10
5
50%
Baja Boats Inc
19
9
47%
Hewes Marine Co
10
5
50%
Larson Boats
19
5
26%
Mastercrafters Inc
10
8
80%
Triton Boat Company Lp
19
5
26%
Northport Inc
10
6
60%
Hardwood Const & Cabty
18
1
6%
Regal Boats
10
7
70%
Maurell Products Inc
18
9
50%
Transcommerce Importing
10
2
20%
Waco Mfg Inc
10
2
20%
17
8
Avon Rubber Co.
47%
*Corresponding recoveries from 01/01/2012 through 04/30/2013
Manufacturer
2012 Watercraft Thefts and Corresponding Recoveries by Boat Type
Exactly 4,459 theft records from the 2012 NCIC boat theft and corresponding recovery data included
one of the 13 recognized boat type codes, and only 12 of the 13 codes were represented in the data. Of these
4,459 theft records, 1,392, or approximately 31%, were in the “All Other” category. The following list ranks the
remaining 11 stolen boat types with the corresponding recovery information in descending order by number of
thefts. A sample photo1 for each boat type is also provided. Totaling 2,963 thefts, the Top 5 stolen boat types,
excluding “All Other”, comprised approximately 50% of all 2012 watercraft thefts. The boat type most
frequently stolen was the “Jet Ski”, with 1,373 thefts. Of the Top 5, the “Sailboat” had the greatest recovery
rate, as approximately 52% of stolen “Sailboats” were recovered. The Top 5 boat type with the lowest
recovery rate was the “Jet Ski”, as approximately 34% were recovered. An analysis on the number of each
boat type per state is located on Page 8 of this report. Additionally, see Appendix 1 for NCIC definitions of
each boat type.
1. Jet Ski
 2012 Thefts: 1,373
 Recoveries: 462
 Recovery Rate: 34%
2. Runabout
 2012 Thefts: 937
 Recoveries: 445
 Recovery Rate: 47%
1
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.
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2012 (Public Dissemination)
Date of Report
Page 4 of 3
3. Utility
 2012 Thefts: 360
 Recoveries: 126
 Recovery Rate: 35%
4. Cruiser
 2012 Thefts: 251
 Recoveries: 118
 Recovery Rate: 47%
5. Sailboat
 2012 Thefts: 42
 Recoveries: 22
 Recovery Rate: 52%
6. Airboat
 2012 Thefts: 28
 Recoveries: 9
 Recovery Rate: 32%
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2012 (Public Dissemination)
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Page 5 of 3
7. Commercial
 2012 Thefts: 21
 Recoveries: 13
 Recovery Rate: 62%
8. Houseboat
 2012 Thefts: 11
 Recoveries: 6
 Recovery Rate: 55%
9. Yacht
 2012 Thefts: 6
 Recoveries: 3
 Recovery Rate: 50%
10. Hovercraft
 2012 Thefts: 1
 Recoveries: 0
 Recovery Rate: 0%
11. Hydroplane
 2012 Thefts: 1
 Recoveries: 1
 Recovery Rate: 100%
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2012 (Public Dissemination)
Date of Report
Page 6 of 3
2012 Watercraft Thefts and Corresponding Recoveries by Manufacturer & Boat Type Combined
The following table displays the Top 10 stolen manufacturer and boat type combinations with the
corresponding recovery information, excluding any combinations that listed either the manufacturer or the boat
type as “All Other” or “Undetermined”, in descending order by number of thefts. Totaling 1,300 thefts, the Top
10 stolen combinations of manufacturers and boat types comprised approximately 22% of all 2012 watercraft
thefts. The manufacturer and boat type combination most frequently stolen was the “Yamaha - Jet Ski”, with
538 thefts. Of the Top 10, the “Bayliner Marine Corp - Runabout” had the highest recovery rate, as
approximately 50% were recovered. With a recovery rate of approximately 26%, the “Polaris Ind. – Jet Ski”
was the Top 10 combination with the lowest amount of corresponding recoveries.
2012 Watercraft Thefts and Corresponding Recoveries for the
Top 10 Manufacturer and Boat Type Combinations
Manufacturer
Boat Type Thefts Recoveries Recovery Rate
538
161
Yamaha
Jet Ski
30%
266
112
Bombardier Corp
Jet Ski
42%
205
70
Kawasaki Motors Mfg. Jet Ski
34%
69
18
Polaris Ind.
Jet Ski
26%
46
17
Tracker Marine L.P.
Runabout
37%
43
16
Tracker Marine L.P.
Utility
37%
42
21
Bayliner Marine Corp
Runabout
50%
34
14
Highline Public School Jet Ski
41%
30
11
Alumacraft Boat Co
Runabout
37%
27
9
Alumacraft Boat Co
Utility
33%
*Corresponding recoveries from 01/01/2012 through 04/30/2013
2012 Watercraft Thefts and Corresponding Recoveries by Propulsion Type
There were 6 different propulsion types recognized in the 2012 watercraft theft and recovery data, and
3,857 theft records, or approximately 66%, included one of these propulsion types. The following table details
2012 watercraft theft and corresponding recovery information for the 6 propulsion types in descending order by
number of thefts. Totaling 3,829 thefts, the Top 3 propulsion types, “Outboard”, “Inboard”, and “Manual”
respectively, comprised approximately 65% of all watercraft thefts. Watercrafts with “Outboard” propulsion
were stolen most frequently, with 1,887 thefts. Of the Top 3 propulsion types, “Outboard” had the highest
recovery rate, which was approximately 46%. The propulsion type with the lowest recovery rate was “Manual”,
as only approximately 24% of stolen watercrafts with “Manual” propulsion were recovered.
2012 Watercraft Thefts and Corresponding Recoveries by Propulsion Type
Propulsion Type
Thefts Recoveries Recovery Rate
1,887
860
Outboard
46%
1,460
586
Inboard
40%
482
118
Manual
24%
15
5
Sail Only
33%
9
5
Sail with Auxiliary Inboard Power
56%
4
4
Sail with Auxiliary Outboard Power
100%
*Corresponding recoveries from 01/01/2012 through 04/30/2013
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2012 (Public Dissemination)
Date of Report
Page 7 of 3
Section 2: Geographic Analysis
The first Geographic Analysis subsection analyzes the 2012 watercraft thefts and corresponding
recoveries by state, which is separated into 3 parts: the 2012 watercraft thefts and corresponding recoveries by
all theft states, including Washington DC (DC); the 2012 watercraft thefts per state by boat type; and
geographic patterns where the recovery state or region differed from the theft state. The final Geographic
Analysis subsection analyzes the 2012 watercraft thefts and corresponding recoveries for the Top 10 theft
cities.
2012 Watercraft Thefts and Corresponding Recoveries by Theft State
All 5,870 2012 watercraft thefts reported a theft state, and, with the exception of the District of Columbia
(DC), at least 1 theft occurred in every state. The following table lists the US states in descending order from
the greatest amount of watercraft thefts to the least, and then includes corresponding recovery information 2 for
all recovered watercrafts stolen from that state in 2012. In the chart, The Top 10 theft states are labeled, listed
in „Bold' font, and separated by a bar. Totaling 3,766 thefts, the Top 10 theft states comprised approximately
64% of all 2012 watercraft thefts. The state with the greatest amount of stolen watercrafts was “FL”, with 1,408
thefts. Of the Top 10 theft states, “CA” had greatest recovery rate, as approximately 52% of watercrafts stolen
from “WA” were recovered. With a recovery rate of 25%, “AL” was the Top 10 theft state with the lowest rate of
corresponding recoveries.
Top 10 Theft States
2012 Watercraft Thefts and Corresponding Recoveries by Theft State
2
State
FL
CA
TX
WA
NC
LA
GA
MI
AL
SC
TN
AR
MN
AZ
MO
WI
NY
IN
OK
IL
OH
VA
MD
MS
OR
PA
Thefts
1,408
605
403
214
184
168
164
160
154
153
153
136
136
126
117
109
107
104
101
97
95
85
83
80
78
76
Recoveries
481
313
186
110
66
59
73
47
39
49
46
55
64
57
55
51
26
27
37
36
37
33
40
24
30
19
Recovery Rate
34%
52%
46%
51%
36%
35%
45%
29%
25%
32%
30%
40%
47%
45%
47%
47%
24%
26%
37%
37%
39%
39%
48%
30%
38%
25%
State
NJ
KY
KS
ME
IA
NV
CT
CO
UT
MA
RI
NH
ID
AK
MT
NE
WV
NM
DE
ND
VT
SD
HI
WY
DC
Totals
Thefts
70
64
58
41
37
35
31
29
23
22
22
20
19
17
15
15
14
12
11
6
6
5
1
1
0
5,870
Recoveries
31
17
16
17
17
20
14
10
12
7
7
4
13
6
6
4
5
1
5
3
1
3
0
0
0
2,279
Recovery Rate
44%
27%
28%
41%
46%
57%
45%
34%
52%
32%
32%
20%
68%
35%
40%
27%
36%
8%
45%
50%
17%
60%
0%
0%
39%
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: 2012 (Public Dissemination)
Date of Report
Page 8 of 3
The following table alphabetically lists each theft state with the number of 2012 Watercraft thefts
categorized by boat type. For each boat type, the state combination with the most thefts is highlighted in
yellow, and an asterisk denotes a tie between 2 or more states. “FL” was the state with the most reported
thefts for jet skis (474), airboats (17), and commercial boats (11). “CA” reported the most thefts for runabouts
(127) and cruisers (67), and houseboats (5), and was also the only state that reported a hovercraft theft and a
hydroplane theft. The greatest number utility boats (40) were stolen in “TX”. “CA” and “FL” tied with the
greatest amount of sailboat thefts (10). Additionally, the 6 yacht thefts occurred throughout 6 different states:
“CA”, “FL”, “KY”, “MO”, “NY”, and “WA”. The information in this chart is visually displayed in a US map on the
following page.
2012 Watercraft Thefts per State by Boat Type
State
AK
AL
AR
AZ
CA
CO
CT
DC
DE
FL
GA
HI
IA
ID
IL
IN
KS
KY
LA
MA
MD
ME
MI
MN
MO
MS
MT
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
31
17
25
164
12
8
1
474
38
1
6
9
20
17
7
21
2
10
3
29
17
26
16
3
36
6
7
16
8
11
21
13
30
14
5
4
40
20
105
9
9
40
15
3
1,373
Runabout
6
36
30
40
127
1
5
3
111
18
4
14
9
4
11
40
1
15
3
18
46
13
24
27
4
2
8
12
17
4
4
12
14
4
19
29
60
3
2
115
21
1
937
Utility
2
2
16
8
23
1
27
12
3
1
5
5
8
25
3
9
1
16
3
25
10
2
30
6
6
1
6
6
3
10
1
17
40
3
1
5
18
360
Cruiser
5
4
5
67
1
59
7
2
3
7
6
1
2
5
16
2
7
3
1
2
4
4
4
2
2
1
6
8
9
4
1
1
251
Sailboat
1
*10
1
*10
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
3
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
42
Airboat
3
17
3
1
2
1
1
28
Commercial
3
11
1
1
1
1
2
1
21
Houseboat
5
1
1
1
3
11
Yacht
*1
*1
*1
*1
*1
*1
6
Hovercraft
1
1
Hydroplane
1
1
All
Other
5
20
36
13
63
6
10
4
257
34
10
4
76
25
14
31
23
8
38
24
79
40
31
12
2
51
2
16
15
3
22
41
35
28
37
5
55
3
34
77
1
38
3
26
30
4
1
1,392
Unknown
59
33
35
137
9
8
1
440
54
12
2
39
18
5
52
7
5
10
1
28
18
10
7
36
2
1
28
1
8
32
26
27
14
12
6
21
1
44
105
7
29
3
24
25
5
1,447
Totals
17
154
136
126
605
29
31
0
11
1408
164
1
37
19
97
104
58
64
168
22
83
41
160
136
117
80
15
184
6
15
20
70
12
35
107
95
101
78
76
22
153
5
153
403
23
85
6
214
109
14
1
5,870
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2012 (Public Dissemination)
Date of Report
Page 9 of 3
Of the 2,279 watercrafts stolen in 2012 and recovered by April 30, 2013, all but 32, or approximately
99%, were recovered in the same state it was stolen from. Of the 32 recovered in a different state or region,
25 were recovered in a border state, meaning the recovery state shared a border with the theft state, and 3
were recovered 2 states away from the theft state. The remaining 4 were recovered in Puerto Rico. This may
elude to the idea that once a stolen boat is transported across state lines, it is less likely to be recovered. The
following table provides details on the 32 watercrafts recovered in a different state or region. It is organized in
alphabetical order by theft state.
2012 Watercraft Thefts Recovered in a Different State/Region
Theft
State
AL
AZ
AZ
AZ
AZ
AZ
CA
CA
CA
DE
FL
GA
IN
KS
KY
MD
Recovery
State
TN
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA
AZ
AZ
AZ
MD
AL
SC
PR
SD
IL
DC
Manufacturer
Back Country Powerboats Inc
General Coach Works
Eliminator Boats Inc
Yamaha
Advantage Boats Inc
Advantage Boats Inc
Kawasaki Motors Mfg. (Boat)
Kawasaki Motors Mfg. (Boat)
North American Sleekcraft Inc
Undetermined
Bombardier Corp
Four Winns Inc
Polar Kraft Mfg Co
Tracker Marine L.P.
Bombardier Corp
Sun
Boat
Type
Cruiser
All Other
Cruiser
Jet Ski
Jet Ski
Cruiser
Utility
Jet Ski
All Other
Jet Ski
Utility
Theft
State
MD
MN
MO
MS
MS
NC
NV
NY
OK
OR
RI
SC
SC
TN
TN
TN
Recovery
State
PA
WI
IL
LA
LA
PR
WA
NJ
PR
WA
PR
NC
NC
GA
IN
MS
Manufacturer
Checkmate Boats Inc
Triton Boat Company Lp
C & C Manufacturing Inc
Bayliner Maxum Robalo
New Jersey Homemade Boats
Lowe Industries
Bombardier Corp
Old Town Canoe Co
Highline Public School
Kawasaki Motors Mfg. (Boat)
Astroglass Boats
Astroglass Boats
Tracker Marine L.P.
Boat
Type
Cruiser
Runabout
Runabout
Utility
Jet Ski
All Other
Jet Ski
Jet Ski
Utility
Cruiser
Utility
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2012 (Public Dissemination)
Date of Report
Page 10 of 3
2012 Watercraft Thefts and Corresponding Recoveries by Theft City
Exactly 5,855 records out of 5,870 watercraft thefts, just under 100%, reported a theft city, while 2,140
records out of 2,279 recoveries, approximately 94%, reported a recovery city. There were 1,882 different theft
cities identified in the 2012 watercraft theft and recovery data. Totaling 749 thefts, the Top 10 theft cities
comprised approximately 13% of all 2012 watercraft thefts. The theft city with the greatest amount of stolen
watercrafts was “Miami, FL”, with 214 thefts. Of the Top 10 theft cities, “Martinez, CA” had the highest
recovery rate, as approximately 73% were recovered. With a recovery rate of 5%, “Miami Beach, FL” was the
Top 10 theft city with the lowest amount of corresponding recoveries. Additionally, 7 of the Top 10 theft cities
were located in Florida, including the first 4, and the remaining 3 were located in California.
The following chart displays the number of watercraft thefts with the corresponding recovery
information3 for the Top 10 theft cities. Theft rates4 per 10,000 persons 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 2012
watercraft thefts per 10,000 inhabitants was 63.9. 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 with 11.4 thefts per 10,000 inhabitants was in “Martinez, CA”. “San Diego, CA” was the Top 10 theft city
with the lowest theft rate, coming in at 0.4 thefts per 10,000 persons.
2012 Watercraft Thefts and Corresponding Recoveries by Top 10 Theft Cities
City
Miami
Tampa
Hialeah
Fort Lauderdale
Sacramento
San Diego
Orlando
Marathon
Miami Beach
Martinez
State Thefts Recoveries Recovery Rate
214
50
FL
23%
77
16
FL
21%
76
18
FL
24%
67
45
FL
67%
63
34
CA
54%
57
33
CA
58%
57
19
FL
33%
53
18
FL
34%
44
2
FL
5%
41
30
CA
73%
Theft Rate
per 10K Persons
5.4
2.3
3.4
4.0
1.4
0.4
2.4
63.9
5.0
11.4
The following page contains 2 US maps for comparative purposes; the first map displays the 2012
watercraft thefts by theft state and theft city, while the next displays the corresponding recoveries by recovery
state and recovery city. The recovery map displays 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.
3
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.
4
Data on population per city was retrieved from the US Census Bureau’s 2010 census. All theft rates were rounded to the nearest tenth.
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2012 (Public Dissemination)
Date of Report
Page 11 of 3
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2012 (Public Dissemination)
Date of Report
Page 12 of 3
Section 3: Temporal Analysis
On Average, there were approximately 16 watercraft thefts per day, 112 per week, or 489 per month
throughout the year of 2012. But, watercraft thefts are not distributed evenly over time, and the first Temporal
Analysis subsection aims to show when to be the most prepared for potential theft by analyzing the 2012
watercraft thefts and corresponding recoveries by month. The second subsection analyzes the 2012
watercraft thefts and corresponding recoveries by day of the week. Then, the final subsection analyzes the
number of days between the theft date and recovery date for all 2,279 corresponding recoveries through April
30, 2013.
2012 Watercraft Thefts and Corresponding Recoveries by Theft Month
The following graph displays the
2012 watercraft thefts per theft month
as compared to the average amount of
thefts per month. On average, there
were 489 watercraft thefts per month
throughout the year of 2012. The graph
clearly highlights that watercraft theft is
a seasonal crime partial to spring and
summer, as the months of April through
September all exceeded the average.
The top theft month was July, with 739
thefts, while the month with the least
amount of thefts was February, with 273
thefts.
2012 Watercraft Thefts by Month
800
547
501
489
459
400
397
352
300
200
273
296
304
100
0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Thefts
The following graph displays the
2012 corresponding recoveries per theft
month as compared to the average
amount of recoveries per month. Only
corresponding recoveries between
01/01/2012 and 12/31/2012 were
included. Of the watercrafts stolen
throughout 2012, there was an average
of 172 recoveries per month in 2012.
The corresponding watercraft
recoveries also appear seasonal as the
months of May through October all
exceeded the average. The top
recovery month was August, with 294
recoveries, while the month with the
least amount of recoveries was
January, with 53.
692
604
600
500
739
706
700
Jul
Aug Sept Oct
Nov
Dec
Monthly Average
2012 Watercraft Corresponding Recoveries by Month
350
300
294
282
250
230
192
200
150
186
172
167
133
100
198
144
99
82
53
50
0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Recoveries
Jun
Jul
Aug Sept Oct
Monthly Average
Nov
Dec
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2012 (Public Dissemination)
Date of Report
Page 13 of 3
2012 Watercraft Thefts and Corresponding Recoveries by Day of the Week
The following graph displays the number of 2012 watercraft thefts and recoveries by day of the week.
Only corresponding recoveries from 01/01/2012 through 12/31/2012 were included in this analysis. The
analysis shows that there are no notable theft patterns by day of the week. The day of the week when the
most watercrafts were stolen was Friday, with 932 thefts, and the day of the week with the least amount of
stolen watercrafts was Thursday, with 764 thefts; but the overall difference between the thefts on Thursday and
the thefts on Friday were relatively low. There are no discernable recovery patterns by day of the week as
well. Recoveries ranged from a low of 204 on Saturday to a peak of 375 on Tuesday.
2012 Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries by Day of the Week
1,000
900
932
873
828
837
813
823
764
800
700
600
500
375
400
300
313
356
331
266
215
204
200
100
0
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thur
Thefts
Recoveries
Fri
Sat
2011 Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries:
Analysis of the Number of Days Between Theft Date and Corresponding Recovery Date
The following table displays the Top 10 number of days between a watercraft theft date and the
corresponding recovery date in descending order by number of thefts. All 2,279 corresponding recoveries from
01/01/2012 through 04/30/2012 were included in this analysis. Of the 2,279 recoveries, a cumulative total of
549 were recovered by the end of the following day; this represents approximately 10% of all thefts and 24% of
all recoveries. All Top 10 days to recovery were 9 days or less, meaning 51% of all recoveries occurred within
9 days of the theft.
Top 10 Number of Days Between Theft Date and Corresponding Recovery Date
Days to Recovery
1
0 (same day)
2
3
4
5
6
7
9
8
Totals
Thefts
277
272
171
101
96
67
63
46
42
38
1,173
% of All Thefts
5%
5%
3%
2%
2%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
20%
% of All Recoveries
12%
12%
8%
4%
4%
3%
3%
2%
2%
2%
51%
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2012 (Public Dissemination)
Date of Report
Page 14 of 3
Section 4: Conclusion
Based on the findings of this report, the watercraft most likely to be stolen is a Yamaha Jet Ski.
Approximately 32% of all 2012 watercraft thefts had outboard propulsion while an additional 25% had inboard
propulsion. Approximately 24% of all 2012 watercraft thefts occurred in Florida, followed by California with an
additional10%, and Texas with 7%. The Top 4 theft cities were all from Florida: Miami, Tampa, Hialeah, and
Fort Lauderdale. Watercraft theft is a seasonal crime, as 47% of all 2012 thefts occurred between May and
August. Additionally, of the 39% of 2012 watercraft thefts that were recovered as of 04/30/2012, almost all
were recovered in the same state they were stolen from. Most watercraft recoveries occur 9 days after the
date of theft, indicating that the farther a stolen watercraft is transported and the more time that passes after
the date of theft, the less likely it is that the watercraft will be recovered.
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.
US Watercraft Thefts and Recoveries: 2012 (Public Dissemination)
Date of Report
Page 15 of 3
Appendix 1: NCIC Boat Type Definitions

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









Airboat: not defined
Commercial: ferry, oyster boat, motor barge, towboat, tug, clam dredge, coaster, riverboat, smack boat,
etc.
Cruiser: a boat with an inboard motor that is at least 25 feet long but no longer than 50 feet.
Houseboat: not defined
Hovercraft: not defined
Hydrofoil: not defined
Hydroplane: not defined
Jet Ski: aqua bike
Runabout: launch, motorboat, outrider, speedboat, etc.
Sailboat: cat, catarmaran, cutter, bark, ketch, lateen, lugger, pinnace, schooner, sloop, yawl, etc.
Utility: fisherman, sedan, etc.
Yacht: a boat with an inboard motor that is more than 50 feet in length and is used mainly for pleasure
or recreation.
All Other: canoe, dinghy, dory, johnboat, kayak, lifeboat, paddleboat, rowboat, scull, skiff, etc.