COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - An insurance industry group reports car thefts were down last year in 15 of Ohio's 16 largest metro areas. The only exception was the Marietta area in southeast Ohio.
The Ohio Insurance Institute says Cleveland had the state's highest auto theft rate in 2009, with 313 vehicles stolen for every 100,000 residents.
Cleveland's rate was the 72nd highest among the nation's major metropolitan areas, down 10 places from the city's No. 62 rank in 2008.
Data released Monday show Columbus had Ohio's second highest rate of car thefts last year, followed by Toledo, the Youngstown-Warren area, and Dayton.
The report is based on findings from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, which says auto thefts declined nationwide in 2009 for the sixth year in a row.
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