AN ANALYSIS OF THE EXTENT AND NATURE OF AUTOMOBILE THEFT IN MONTREAL, TORONTO, AND VANCOUVER FOR THE YEARS 1965 TO 1971 IS FOLLOWED BY A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE VICTIMIZATION COSTS (VALUE OF THE GOODS STOLEN MINUS ANY PROPERTY RECOVERED) OF AUTOMOBILE AND ALL OTHER TYPES OF THEFT. THE THREE-CITY AUTOMOBILE-THEFT-VERSUS-OTHER-TYPES OF-THEFT COMPARISON IS ALSO USED TO EXAMINE DIFFERENTIAL RATES FOR THE RECOVERY OF STOLEN GOODS AND THE CLEARANCE OF OFFENSES BY ARREST. THE ORGANIZATION AND OPERATION OF AUTO RECOVERY SQUADS IN MONTREAL AND TORONTO ARE ALSO ANALYZED IN TERMS OF THEIR FUNCTION AND COST. BASED ON THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THIS STUDY, FOUR ACTIVITIES ARE IDENTIFIED AS IMPORTANT IN THE DETERMINATION OF POLICE COST EFFECTIVENESS - THE PREDICTION OF AUTOMOBILE THEFTS, THE RECOVERY OF STOLEN CARS, THE ARREST OF SUSPECTS, AND DETECTION AND DISMANTLING OF ORGANIZED NETWORKS FOR THE RESALE OF STOLEN AUTOMOBILES AND/OR THEIR PARTS. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE SEVERAL POLICE GUIDELINES ON PROCEDURES FOR INVESTIGATING AND RECOVERING STOLEN AUTOMOBILES. A TWO-PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY/ REFERENCE LIST IS ALSO PROVIDED. SEE NCJ-40167 FOR PART THREE. --IN FRENCH...ELW