These Are The Most Commonly Stolen Items in Montana

We recently wrote a story about someone on Reddit who said they were moving back to Montana (Billings) and were concerned about the rise of violent crime. The consensus is that most violent crimes in the Billings area are between individuals or groups who know each other and are likely involved in drug use or sale. Random acts of violence are - thankfully - somewhat rare. Theft, however, affects just about everyone across the Treasure State.

Western states have the most theft.

According to 2021 data compiled by USAFact.org, your odds of getting something stolen from you are highest in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon. At #1, Colorado has a property theft rate of 3,135 crimes per 100,000 residents. Montana has a property theft rate of 2,152 per 100,000 residents. The Dakotas and Wyoming are about the same, while Idaho has one of the lowest rates of property theft in the US.

Interestingly, the data confirms that every state’s property crime rate was lower in 2020 than in 1991.

What are thieves stealing in Montana?

Everything might be a good answer and technically that's true. Data indicates that "miscellaneous" items are the most stolen in the US. After that, according to the Stealing Stranger's Stuff report from Safehome.org, the top items stolen in Big Sky Country are jewelry and precious metals. 

Don't leave your gun in your vehicle.

The days of riding around Montana with a rifle in the back window of your pickup truck are long gone. The report notes that Montana ranks 5th for most firearms stolen. Only Hawaii, Alaska, Nevada, and Wyoming report more gun thefts per capita than Montana. Montana law enforcement officials have been reminding gun-toting citizens to pack their heat back into the house, instead of leaving a weapon in a vehicle. It's a good habit to get into.