Ready for shopping season? Which Valley malls have HIGHEST auto theft rates

PHOENIX - Which Valley malls are the best and worst when it comes to car theft?

ABC15 poured over police records from September 2011 to August of this year from most of the Valley's major malls.

Ten years ago, the Phoenix metro area was considered the top area for car thefts in America.

Now, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Phoenix ranks 60th, thanks to law enforcement, security staff and cautious car owners.

But that doesn't mean that cars don't get stolen anymore. Even cars with anti-theft devices can get broken into.

So which Valley malls are safest for your vehicle and which are prime targets?

We found Chandler Mall comes in the lowest, with two stolen cars during that time period.

Superstition Mall in Mesa had three cars stolen.

Fiesta Mall in Mesa and Scottsdale Fashion Square both reported five auto thefts.

Paradise Valley Mall tallied six.

Tempe Marketplace had 12.

Desert Sky Mall in Phoenix had 31.

Tempe's Arizona Mills Mall had 33 stolen vehicles.

Police records show Arrowhead Mall in Glendale had 56 stolen cars.

Metrocenter Mall in Phoenix came in with the highest, at 84.

Police tell us numbers at Phoenix malls will skew higher because their stats includes cars stolen from surrounding areas.

After our story aired, officials at Metrocenter Mall told ABC15 the number of car thefts on their property are much lower.

Phoenix Lieutenant Ben Leuschner said "there were 19 vehicle thefts on mall property during the same time frame."

Auto theft experts say you can protect your car in easy ways, from a sign in the rear view mirror that says you have an alarm system, whether you do or not, to a club that wraps around the steering wheel, to vin etching in the windshield.