CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Police in Charlotte said October had the lowest number of stolen cars in the county in more than five years.

Police statistics obtained by Eyewitness News show there were only 205 cars reported stolen in October, down from more than 700 in the same month in 2005.

Police said the numbers have been steadily improving over the last three years. Auto thefts dropped 16 percent in 2007, 13 percent in 2008 and, so far in 2009, they're down almost 38 percent.

"When you look at the drop over the last few years. it's really staggering," said Sgt. Rich Tonsberg, who heads up the department's auto theft investigations.

Tonsberg said the drop is the result of several changes, including a new law that allows police to target so-called "chop shops" more aggressively.

But the biggest change, he said, may have come in the way the department responds to crimes, including auto thefts. By going to a system that uses Response Area Commanders, police are able to keep a closer eye on crime in particular neighborhoods.

The department has 39 sergeants who act as Response Area Commanders throughout the city.