Motor Vehicle Theft

Project Overview:

This project involves the exploration and analysis of stolen motor vehicle data obtained from the New Zealand Police Department's vehicle of interest database.

Questions Addressed:

1.       What day of the week are vehicles most often and least often stolen
   

2.       What type of vehicle are most often and least often stolen; do they vary across region
   

3.       What is the average age of vehicles stolen.
   

4.       For each vehicle stolen, what is the percentage of Luxury versus standard vehicles.
   

5.       What is the Top 10 vehicles stolen and the top 7 vehicle colors.
   

6.       Do the type of vehicles stolen in the 3 most dense region differ from the 3 least dense region.
   

Data Acquisition:

The data for this analysis was obtained by querying the database using MYSQL.

Methodology:

To gather a comprehensive understanding of the data, the following steps and queries were executed:

-- The following query was used to explore all the data within each table, providing insights into the structure and content of the datasets:

Below Queries were used to get data to answer questions

Insights

1. A total of 4553 vehicles have been reported stolen in the last two years.

2. March is the month with the highest vehicle theft and Mondays consistently witness the highest number of thefts, while Saturdays experience the least.

3. Saloon cars are the most frequently stolen vehicle type, while special purpose vehicles and articulated trucks are the least targeted, informing specific security recommendations tailored to vulnerable vehicle types.

4. Silver-colored vehicles, particularly trailers, are disproportionately targeted, emphasizing the need for enhanced vigilance and security measures for this specific color and vehicle subtype.

5. Luxury vehicles constitute a minority among stolen vehicles, with convertibles being the most frequently targeted model type. Awareness of this trend is crucial for implementing targeted prevention strategies by law enforcement and vehicle owners.

6. Auckland, with its high population density, emerges as the region with the highest incidence of vehicle thefts. The city not only experiences the highest overall number of stolen vehicles but also leads in the theft of luxury vehicles. This correlation suggests that additional security measures and public awareness campaigns may be particularly effective in addressing vehicle theft in this region.

Recommendations

1 Recognizing the peak in stolen vehicles on Mondays, law enforcement and vehicle owners should consider reinforcing security protocols and patrols on this specific day.

2 Given that saloon cars are the most commonly stolen vehicle type, owners should invest in robust anti-theft systems, such as alarms and GPS tracking, to deter theft.

3 Increased security measures, such as surveillance and tracking systems, should be employed, most importantly for silver-colored vehicles, particularly trailers, to address the disproportionate theft rates in this category.

4 Owners of luxury vehicles, especially convertibles, should be made aware of the increased risk and encouraged to implement advanced security measures, such as immobilizers and tracking devices.

5 Recognizing Auckland's high vulnerability due to its population density, the local authorities should collaborate with communities to raise awareness and implement targeted security initiatives. These may include community patrols, public awareness campaigns, and partnerships with local businesses to enhance surveillance.