Cars get stolen all the time, even with car theft at all-time lows across the country. And some of the methods of swiping a vehicle can be a bit... unusual, to say the least. Here are five surprisingly-common -- and a bit odd -- ways your car can disappear.

#1) By Tow Truck Here's a simple question: When was the last time you questioned what a tow truck was doing? Have you ever seen a tow truck hauling a car away and thought “Hey, there's something fishy here...” Probably not. And most of the time, there's a good reason for that: The tow truck operator is just doing his job. Unless, of course, he's a car thief hauling off his prey. Tow trucks are ideal for stealing cars: Nobody challenges them, and you can break into the car at your leisure instead of stressing out trying to get it out of the parking lot.

#2) Using The OBD Port Digital methods of swiping cars have been around for a while, but this method is particularly annoying, and BMWs tend to fall prey to it. First, the thief breaks into the car, either by stealth or... well... breaking the window with a rock at a specific point that won't trigger the alarm. Then, he plugs a device called a “key programmer” into the car's OBD-II port, and puts the fob code on a blank key. Voila! He’s got a shiny new BMW to remove from the parking lot, much to the irritation of its owner.

#3) Stealing It From the Arresting Officer Most car thefts are not carefully-planned-out heists, but crimes of opportunity. In fact, half of all thefts happen because the car is unlocked... and 15% of cars stolen have the keys right there in the ignition. We expect this out of the sillier people we know, but not police officers. That said, the officer in question did happen to have this future car thief handcuffed and locked in the back of his cruiser. The suspect, however, figured out how to roll down the window and open the door. To be fair, this bright bulb decided that swiping a police car would be a better strategy than running away, and was caught in short order. But that must have been one embarrassing incident report for the officer to fill out.

#4) Pretending to Be a Valet It's the oldest joke about car theft in Hollywood: “You left your car with the valet? We don't have a valet!” Cue running out into the street as the expensive car peels out, never to be seen again. But, believe it or not, as the above clip will show you, it happens. Car thieves don't necessarily look like thieves, after all: They can be nice, clean-cut young people who look good in a suit and windbreaker... and who will be happy to accept your car keys and take your car. Of course, some have more standards than others... like the “valet” who stole a woman's car after he saw her staggering into the hospital at 3am with labor pains. The moral of the story? Your car can be stolen, so invest in some safety equipment -- such as a tracking device -- to protect it. It will lower your auto insurance prices, and also give you some piece of mind. Also, don't trust the valet.

Auto theft is down. Way, way down. In 2010, it dropped more than 7 percent and the preliminary numbers for 2011 seem to indicate another drop of 3.3%. Car owners and their auto insurance companies should be thrilled. But it's not down everywhere. The West is still seeing the most car theft...especially the state of California.

Why Is It Down?
Car theft is down across the country for any number of reasons. Police have been taking it more seriously, working to trap individual car thieves and break up chop shops and other thievery rings. Meanwhile, auto makers have been working on new anti-theft devices that substantially drive up the costs and difficulty of stealing a car.

For example, many late-model cars now come with a device in the lock that gets transmitted a specific code from inside your key. No code, no way in: even if you've somehow correctly picked the lock.

Sometimes, auto makers have simply changed their approach: instead of using a mechanical lock, which can be levered via inserting a thin hooked piece of steel between the window and the door panel, they use an electric lock. Or, they simply make it impossible to hook the lock by installing a block for it.

And all of this is before any after-market devices. Thieves now have to worry about GPS trackers being installed on cars, or something as simple as a cell phone left in a glove compartment giving them away.

Where Are the Rates Not Going Down?
Nonetheless, there are some communities where car theft is going up and is a real problem. The bottom 10 cities are:

1. Fresno, CA

2. Modesto, CA

3. Bakersfield-Delano, CA

4. Spokane, WA

5. Yakima, WA

6. San Francisco, CA

7. Stockton, CA

8. Anderson, SC

9. Vallejo-Fairfield, CA

10. Visalia-Porterville, CA

So what's going on? Why is car theft so stubbornly high, especially in California?

• Desperation: California has an 11% unemployment rate, up from 6% in 2008. Most of the nation, on a state by state basis, isn't doing quite as badly as California in this respect, and that's a strong contributing factor. It's also worth noting that these are some of the hardest-hit areas of a hard-hit state in this respect. It may be less that car theft is a way of life in these areas, and much more that some people are just out of options.
• Easy Access To Ports: Another point is that California has several ports that it's easy to ship stolen cars, or stolen car parts, out of. This puts it in a different position than most of the country, especially in regards to price. True, car parts can sell for a pretty penny. But a fully-assembled car can also sell for a lot of money, especially overseas.
• Car Culture: Finally, there's the simple fact that there's an abundance of cars in California. The state has always had a strong car culture; whether people are talking about driving a convertible along the California coast or making jokes about the freeways in Los Angeles. The simple fact of the matter is that everybody needs a car in most of California, and there are many, many cars to choose from as a result.

This isn't to say the news is all bad. As high as the rate of car thefts is in California relative to the rest of the country, the overall number of thefts in the area is actually down compared to the previous years. As car safety improves, and the economy starts making jobs, even the worst places to own a car will become better.

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First the good news: car theft in America is at its lowest number in 40 years. Now, the not-so-good news: there are still plenty of cars stolen every year, and some cities are worse than others. In fact, among the top ten cities with the most car theft, one fact stands out: eight out of the ten cities are in California, with the remaining two in Washington state. Californians, be thankful for auto insurance!

You might assume that the number one city is Los Angeles. But you wouldn’t be right. In fact, the City of Angels doesn't even make the top ten, and the only major city on the list is San Francisco, although some cities on the list, such as Modesto, are fairly close to a metropolitan area.

No, it's really the smaller cities and the suburbs that should make car owners nervous: cities like Bakersfield, Visalia, Sacramento, and the number one city...Fresno. Apparently your car is much safer in South Central than it is in the outlying planned communities of Los Angeles.

So what, precisely, makes the Golden State such a mecca for car thieves? We've got a few theories...

#1) Demand. California has 32 million registered cars for 36 million residents, more than ten percent of the population of the entire United States. And, despite having several major cities, it's still got a lot of towns and cities without major public transit networks. That means there's a huge demand for both cars and for car parts...something car thieves like to see.

#2) There are more exotic cars. California has had a “car culture” for decades, and between the money from Hollywood and the money from Silicon Valley, there are far more “exotics” per capita than in most states. Car thieves love exotic cars because they're expensive, in high demand, and thus very easy to sell.

#3) Access to shipping. Many car thieves, if they're not planning on stripping the cars and selling the parts, need to move the vehicles they've stolen across borders or overseas, for easier sale. California, with its many ports of call, offers lots of opportunities for thieves to get stolen cars out of the country quickly and quietly.

So what can Californians do to protect their valuable vehicles?

First of all, write down all the information about your car: make, model, tag number, VIN number, and any other identifying numbers you can locate. Have that on your person at all times (e.g., in your wallet or smartphone). The sooner you make a call to the police with this information, the sooner they can come looking for it.

Install a tracking system in your car. Many modern tracking systems use GPS devices to find cars and allow police to arrest the perpetrators with ease. A tracking system will probably find your car for you well before a thief can strip it.

Above all, use common sense. Park your car in areas that are well-lit, observed, and see regular foot traffic. Don't park your car illegally, as thieves may pretend to be parking authorities and remove the vehicle right under your nose. And, of course, use your judgment: if a neighborhood looks bad, park somewhere else. Hopefully, you’ll be able to keep your car where it belongs: with you.

If you need car insurance, check out SafeAuto.com.

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