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By Bloomberg

The San Francisco Bay area had the highest rate of auto thefts in the nation last year for the first time, as California continued to lead the U.S. in stolen cars per person.

The region was first among “hot spots” for thefts in 2014, climbing from fourth in 2013, the National Insurance Crime Bureau said Tuesday in a report. The Bakersfield and Stockton- Lodi areas in California came in second and third. California was home to seven of the top ten hot spots.

“California is the auto-theft capital of the world,” Frank Scafidi, a Sacramento-based spokesman for the NICB, said in a phone interview. “There are more people and vehicles here than any place in the country. With a population that’s as big as what we have here, you get lots of good people and a lot of knuckleheads.”

Nationwide, vehicle thefts have declined every year but one since 2003, and the trend is expected to continue, Scafidi said. Better technology used by car manufacturers and law enforcement has contributed to the steady reduction in thefts.

The NICB, based in Des Plaines, Illinois, is a not-for- profit organization funded by insurers that seeks to prevent and combat insurance fraud and other crimes. It uses data provided by law enforcement and the U.S. Census to assemble its car-theft reports.