A total of 557 vehicles were reported stolen in the north and north-east of Scotland last year.
The Press and Journal can today reveal the worst spots for motor thefts.
Aberdeen was the most affected area with 263 vehicles reported stolen in the Granite City, and the worst spots were Mastrick and Northfield where 40 were taken.
In Aberdeenshire, 114 vehicles were stolen with 35 taken from Fraserburgh and Peterhead.
In the Highlands, there were 106 stolen, 28 in Inverness. And there were also 12 stolen in the Western Isles, 15 in Shetland and four in Orkney.
However, police have claimed the rate of crime was falling dramatically and the “detection rate” was strong.
One person to be hit by the wave of vehicle thefts was Chris Jones, a disabled man whose hand-operated mobility bike was taken from outside his home in Bankhead.
Mr Jones was inside cooking tea at around 8pm on January 4 when his neighbours spotted it was gone.
It was later recovered, but needs £800 of work to be repaired and his daughter, Kimberley Jamieson, expressed her outrage at the incident.
She said: “My dad is disabled, so it’s his only way of getting about.
“He can’t drive anymore because of his legs, so the mobility bike is only operated by his hands.
“When we got it back, it had been spray-painted black. It’s now in the garage getting sorted, has cost him £800 and he’s been without it for almost a week.”
Detective Chief Inspector Lorna Ferguson said the rate of vehicle crime was falling.
She added: “Last year, across the north-east, we recorded a 21.5% reduction in motor vehicle offences and our detection rates remain strong nationally.
“However, the theft of one vehicle is one too many, and proactive work is carried out every day to prevent this from happening in the first place.”
Martin Greig, chairman of Aberdeen Community Safety Partnership and a city councillor, called on people to take extra precautions.
He said: “It is very disappointing that the level of theft is so high. Most of these crimes will be opportunistic.
“Owners have to make it more difficult for the thieves by checking the car is properly locked and keys are stored away in a safe place.”
Highland MSP John Finnie, justice spokesman for the Scottish Green Party, argued the rate had fallen dramatically over the last decade.
He said: “Improved security measures means that car theft is not the issue not once was.
“Indeed in the decade 2007-08 to 2016-17 it decreased by 57%, however, I am sure police are not complacent.”
