Auto thefts on Oahu rose 9.1 percent in 2010 from the previous year despite decreases nationwide to the lowest level since 1967.

U.S. thefts dropped for the seventh straight year as more cars were equipped with security devices and police tactics helped deter thieves, an insurance industry group said.

Oahu ranked 50th nationally last year with 3,201 thefts, or 336 per 100,000 people. In 2009, it was 64th with 2,935 thefts, or 323 per 100,000 people, according to preliminary figures released Wednesday by the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

U.S. thefts probably declined 7.2 percent last year to 737,404 from 794,616 in 2009, according to the preliminary data. The New York City region, Dallas, Los Angeles, Detroit and Miami were among 257 urban areas reporting fewer thefts, the nonprofit trade group said, citing FBI data.

Insurers including Allstate Corp. and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. offer discounts to customers who use anti-theft devices. In addition to built-in security features, the bureau recommends manufacturer-installed products such as LoJack Corp. tracking devices and Ravelco ignition disablers.

"Technology both on the manufacturing end and what comes out of the automakers is a lot better than it was," said Frank Scafidi, a spokesman for the Des Plaines, Ill.-based group. "Even on the baseline vehicle today, it’s harder to steal than in 2000."

Auto thefts in the New York City area, including northern New Jersey and Long Island, fell 1.9 percent to 29,189. The region had the 198th-highest-rate of 366 Metropolitan Statistical Areas, compared with 223rd in 2009.

State College, Pa., had the lowest rate for the second straight year with 46 thefts, or 30 per 100,000 people. Of the 366 Metropolitan Statistical Areas, 106 reported more thefts than they did in 2009.

Car thefts in Dallas declined 14.5 percent in 2010 to 21,963, or 345 thefts per 100,000 people, the bureau said. Police use "bait programs" in which officers leave cars unlocked, often with the keys still in the ignition, to tempt would-be thieves. The tactic has helped reduce thefts, said Sgt. Robert Benitez of the Dallas Police Department.

Fresno, Calif. — one of eight regions in the state that were among the top 10 places for car snatching — had the highest rate of theft. The Fresno area, in central California, had 7,559 thefts, or 812 per 100,000 people, the group said.

Law-enforcement efforts are hobbled by insufficient capacity at the county jail resulting from staff shortages, said Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer.

"Individuals we arrest for the crime of auto theft are being booked into jail and released, generally the same day," he said. "It is not uncommon for us to arrest the same person for auto theft multiple times in one week."

Sgt. Eddie Perez of California’s Delano Police Department, in the Southern California region with the third-highest rate of car thefts, said more automobile owners should take basic precautions.

"The simplest, the easiest and the most cost-effective is really just to lock the thing," Scafidi said. "I know that sounds kind of elementary, but there are lots of vehicles that are stolen every year because people make it easy on the thief."

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Bloomberg News also contributed to this story.