By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Auto-related crime accounts for third of all Manteca felonies
crime header

Vehicle theft and auto burglary accounted for a third of the 291 felony crimes committed in Manteca during the first two months of the year.

There were 42 vehicle thefts and 59 auto burglaries in January and February. And while they accounted for roughly a third of all felonies, vehicle theft and auto burglary were down 21.43 percent and 18.64 percent respectively during the first two months of this year.

Historically, you are more likely to be a victim of an auto burglary than any other burglary in Manteca. Even so auto burglaries were down 53.59 percent going from 474 in 2019 to 220 last year.

Vehicle thefts dropped 12.37 percent going from 283 in 2019 to 248 in 2020. It is a far cry from 2005 when thieves were stealing a vehicle in Manteca every 10.9 hours for a record 798 vehicles in one year. That nose bleed number of vehicle thefts included one big rig left idling in front of a Manteca home and a Manteca Police patrol unit.

Overall crime in Manteca based on raw numbers on a year-to-date basis continues its downward slide that predates the start of the pandemic. But in February 2020 to February 2021 comparisons all felonies are up 9.91 percent while all burglaries are up 5 percent.

While most of the felony categories that rose are too small statistically to determine if it is the start of a trend, increases in two categories that are crimes against persons jumped significantly. There were 14 cases of aggravated assault in the first two months of this year compared to 3 in the same period in 2020. At the same time rape/unlawful intercourse quadrupled to four cases.’

With the exception of aggravated assault, rape, and the category “other burglaries” crime in every other felony and misdemeanor category was down sharply in January-February in same month comparisons with 2020.

Among the biggest drops were:
*7.14 percent decline in commercial burglaries going from 14 to 13

*50 percent decline in robberies going from 16 to 8.

*50 percent decline in residential burglaries going from 18 to 9.

*33.3 percent decline in grand theft going from 54 to 36.

*18.64 percent decline in auto burglaries going from 59 to 48.

*21.43 percent decline in vehicle thefts going from 42 to 33.

*7.14 percent decline in commercial burglaries going from 14 to 13

Overall Part One Crimes — 12 felonies that the FBI tracks to rate the relative safety of communities — were down 17.18 percent from 291 to 241.

Misdemeanors — including thefts — were down 11.46 percent going from 541 to 479.

Domestic violence cases were up 27.06 percent going from 37 to 47 and narcotic offenses were up 14.29 percent going from 28 to 32.  

The overall value of stolen property was down as well in year-to-year comparisons going from $898,849 to $498,712. Of that amount stolen in the first two months of this year, 45.7 percent or $228,278 worth of property has been recovered.

Service requests during the first two months of 2021 numbered 7,382. That’s down 11.96 percent from 8,385 in January-February 2020.

Crime in Manteca numerically dropped for the second straight year in 2020. They dropped in nine categories last year with residential burglaries leading the way plunging 32.7 percent from 110 in 2019 to 74. 

There has not been a year in Manteca since at least 1998 that there have been less than 100 residential burglaries in Manteca. The peak year for residential burglaries was 2008 with 323.

The numbers are based on Manteca Police crime statistics released this week. The numbers reflect crimes police handled and those crimes reported to the department.