Vehicle thefts are down in Uptown. Last year, police responded to 483 car prowls throughout Uptown, a three-year low, down from 781 reported smash-and-grabs in 2023.
Times of San Diego analyzed police data and found that car prowls have dropped steadily since the 2023 peak.
According to the data, 2026 appears to be following that downward trend.
Police data from January through Sept. 19 shows officers were called 352 times to investigate car prowls in Uptown.
North Park continues to be the top community for vehicle break-ins throughout Uptown neighborhoods, with 81 car prowls reported to police so far this year. Hillcrest has the second-highest reports with 67, followed by Park West (43) and Talmadge (41).
In North Park, the 3000 block of Polk Ave was the favorite target for car prowlers, followed by the 3800 block of 29th Street and 4400 Ohio Street.
While North Park had the highest number of vehicle break-ins so far this year, the Uptown block with the most car break-ins reported is 4300 Park Boulevard, at the intersection of Park Blvd and El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego Police recommends that all drivers lock their cars and remove any valuable items, or place them out of sight from would-be car prowlers.
