The Nogales Police Department says there has been an increased amount of reported license plate theft.
In 2016 there were five license plates stolen. In 2017 there were 28 plates stolen. In the first six months of 2018 there have been 47 plates stolen.
So far this year there have only been 3 license plates recovered.
Nogales Police says they're are still investigating the cause of the increase but suspect the majority of thieves are stealing the plates to put on other cars that have already been stolen and want to fly under the radar.
NPD says anyone who has had their plates stolen should report it to police as soon as possible.
Officials say when a license is stolen and reported, law enforcement uploads a description of the car and plate number to the National Incident Crime Information Center.
From there, license plate scanners on I-19 and ports of entry can detect the stolen plates.
Contrary to Nogales, the Tucson Police Department says they've not seen a drastic increase in the amount of plates stolen.
While Nogales police continue figuring out the reason for the spike in plate theft , they ask people to report any suspicious activity.
