DFW Airport car thefts nearly doubled in 2023. How many vehicles were recovered?

Nicole Lopez
·4 min read
1

In our Reality Check stories, Star-Telegram journalists dig deeper into questions over facts, consequences and accountability. Read more. Story idea? RealityCheck@star-telegram.com.

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport reported a total of 229 vehicle thefts on the airport’s property in 2023, which nearly doubled from 2022, according to data obtained by the Star-Telegram.

Of those 229 cars, 58 were recovered, the data shows.

Ram and Dodge vehicles, including Chargers, Challengers and Durangos were some of the most targeted in 2023, and DFW Airport police confirmed there was a trend toward stealing these specific models. The most recovered makes of vehicles that were stolen from the airport in 2023 include Nissans, Dodges, Rams, and General Motors:

  • Nissan Altima: 3

  • Dodge Charger: 8

  • Ram 1500: 8

  • General Motors: 3

  • Nissan Rogue: 3

Specifically in the summer of 2023, DFW Airport experienced a surge in car thefts from its parking garages.

June was the month with the most reported car thefts at the airport in 2023, totaling 32. Seven cars were stolen on July 12, the most thefts reported in one day in 2023. Sept. 15 followed as the second-highest day, with five thefts reported. While the airport saw a few high daily averages in the summer, the month of October followed with the second-most reported thefts, totaling 31. November had the third most, with a reported 26 vehicular thefts.

Today's top stories:

→ North Texas primaries: Outsider vs. establishment politics on display

→ Large hail, damaging winds expected in Dallas-Fort Worth

→ Burgess concedes loss in GOP primary for Tarrant tax assessor

🚨Get free alerts when news breaks.

With 111 car thefts reported by July 20, 2023, the airport had nearly reached the total from the previous year, which was 118 in 2022, according to the data.

However, airport personnel say that vehicular theft is not just a local issue but a national one.

“The issue of vehicle thefts is truly a regional and national issue, as this type of crime has risen during the past few years almost everywhere,” said Heath Montgomery, vice president for communications and marketing at DFW Airport.

Vehicle thefts also surged last year at other major airports, such as Denver International Airport.

A report by KUSA-TV says that by November 2023, 946 cars were reported stolen among the 51,000 parking spaces at the Denver airport, averaging at three cars stolen per day. In a January news release, the Denver airport said that authorities and a task force were able to help reduce the number of thefts within the last two months of 2023.

Similar to DFW, car thefts reported at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport more than doubled from 2022 to 2023, according to a report by KOMO-TV. In 2022, the Seattle airport saw a total of 71 thefts, whereas 160 car thefts were reported by November 2023. Seattle authorities said that thieves would steal cars where they saw an “opportunity for crime,” such as unlocked vehicles or drivers who left their keys in their cars, KOMO reported.

While smaller than other airports, the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport also saw a rise in vehicular theft in 2023, according to KXAN-TV. In 2022, the Austin airport saw a total of 41 reported car thefts. By August 2023, car thefts had doubled with 84 reported stolen vehicles.

According to Montgomery, the rate of stolen vehicles on DFW Airport’s property is less than 14 cars per 1 million parked vehicles, which he described as a “very low” number. DFW has about 40,000 parking spaces across five garages, two express lots and two remote lots.

Chris McLaughlin, the airport’s executive vice president of operations, also told the Star-Telegram in 2023, “we find ourselves at the lower end of the rate of thefts.”

An Austin Airport spokesperson also said the number of cars stolen at the airport is low compared to the total number of cars parked there annually, KXAN reported. Only 1 percent of cars that park at the airport’s garage are reported stolen, the spokesperson told KXAN.

Still, 2023 marks a big rise in vehicle thefts at DFW Airport as it reported fewer crimes in the past six years:

  • 2017: 51

  • 2018: 58

  • 2019: 35

  • 2020: 38

  • 2021: 66

  • 2022: 118

McLaughlin also told the Star-Telegram in 2023 that DFW Airport has many layers of security. Airport police work with local, state and federal authorities to “share information about criminal rings, trending issues, and best practices for disrupting crime.”

Seattle authorities also noted that trends such as theft rings were contributing to car thefts at the Seattle airport, according to KOMO’s report.

Two people were arrested on Aug. 15, 2023, in connection to the thefts of four vehicles at DFW Airport, according to McLaughlin. The suspects were charged with theft and engaging in organized criminal activity. A third suspect working with the two suspects was still at large, McLaughlin said.

“This is just one example of the work being done to disrupt this kind of activity,” he said.

The airport recommends people, especially those who own targeted vehicles, take extra precautions such as updating vehicle firmware, locking doors, removing valuables and purchasing a wheel locking device.

“We continue to ask the public to ‘see something, say something’ and report any suspicious activity to police or airport employees,” McLaughlin said.