Grand Theft Anchorage: Good morning, your car is missing

Anchorage appears to have broken the record for most car thefts in a single year, a KTUU analysis has found.

With more than 2,400 vehicles reported stolen so far in 2017, skyrocketing theft rates this year have already eclipsed the previous city record of

.

A staggering 316 cars were stolen in Anchorage last month alone. That’s one every two hours and 16 minutes.

The cases are swamping prosecutors and police, sometimes leaving drivers with little recourse but to turn to social media for help to hunt down their stolen vehicles. In this special report, I describe how our family car was stolen and how we worked to get it back with the help of good Samaritans, new friends and Anchorage police.

Part Two airs today at 6 p.m., followed on Thursday by Part Three, a look at how far some theft victims have gone to find their property. If you have had your car stolen in Anchorage and would like to share your story, email khopkins@ktuu.com.

NOTE: The number of car thefts to date this year was calculated using Anchorage Police Department data through September, in addition to October thefts reported on the city crime map for Oct. Car theft totals for previous years were collected from FBI Uniform Crime Reports.