UCR Theft from Motor Vehicle is best described as which?

• A. The vehicle is stolen when the engine is running.
• B. Theft includes only the passenger compartment.
• C. The vehicle is stolen if windows are broken during entry.
• D. Locked or unlocked; includes truck bed.

Answer: (D)

In UCR terminology, Theft from a motor vehicle means property stolen from inside the vehicle or from any part of the vehicle itself, regardless of whether the vehicle is locked or unlocked. It can include items in the passenger compartment as well as in the truck bed, since those areas are parts of the vehicle from which property can be removed. This is different from stealing the entire vehicle, which would be auto theft, and it doesn’t depend on how entry was gained (for example, breaking a window or picking a lock). So describing it as “locked or unlocked; includes truck bed” best captures the scope of this offense.