I. Introduction

A car is stolen from public parking lots, apartment carports, residential driveways and city streets every 11 minutes in Washington State – That’s an average of 132 cars a day! And if you sense that things have been getting worse, you’re right:

• In 1996, some 27,614 vehicles were reported stolen.
• In 2004, the number of cars reported stolen climbed to a record 44,596.
• Between 1996 and 2004, the auto theft rate in Washington State increased 61.5%.

The trend is continuing in 2005. In the first 5 months of this year, the auto theft rate in Washington is up another 15%. (See attached chart #1.)

Residents and businesses in every neighborhood in Seattle and city in King County have felt the effects of this escalating crime. Citizens and businesses are asking for help. Working together with law enforcement, the King County Prosecuting Attorney is undertaking immediate new measures to prosecute car thieves more aggressively. But the public is also an important partner in this effort and we will work to educate citizens on steps they can take to prevent car theft.

II. Car Theft in Washington and King County

Over the last 20 years, we have had success in reducing violent crimes, sex offenses and drug dealing. Violent crime in Seattle went down 3.7% from 2003 to 2004. The property crime rates in Seattle dropped 7.5% during the same period. On a national level, even auto theft, dropped 2.6% between 2003 and 2004. Despite these positive trends, Washington State has faced an epidemic rise in car theft.

In 2004, Washington State experienced a 9.4% increase in motor vehicle theft. But the numbers have been steadily climbing for decades. In 1988, 19,506 vehicles were reported stolen. Ten years later that number skyrocketed to 33,202 – an increase of over 70%. In the year 2004, the number reached a record - 44,596 - a 34% increase over 1998. (See attached chart #2.) And, the auto theft rate continues to spike this year, up nearly 15% over the record set in 2004.

While the state as a whole has struggled with this car theft epidemic, the greatest burden has fallen on King County and the City of Seattle. Approximately 47% of all auto thefts reported in Washington State in 2003 occurred within King County even though the population of King County comprises only 30% of the State's population. In 2004, some 46% of all auto thefts in King County occurred in the City of Seattle. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reports that Seattle ranked eleventh nationally in car theft in 2003. Tacoma ranked fourteenth.

III. An Auto Theft Epidemic: Who Suffers?

When a car thief steals a car, victims and the community suffer the loss. New car values have risen dramatically over the past decade, and continue to increase. Apart from homeownership, cars are the most valuable asset owned by a family. The average value of a stolen car is $6,797, according to the FBI.

But beyond this issue of value, the effects of every car theft are profound. With each theft, car owners, their families, and all those who depend on those cars, are left in the lurch. Lives are disrupted, appointments are missed, kids aren’t picked up, and a community’s sense of safety is pierced. In addition to this very real human loss, are the fiscal costs – much of which we are all left to bear. Consider:

• Auto theft is a $8 billion dollar industry nationwide. The Insurance Information Institute estimates that approximately one-third of a typical comprehensive auto insurance premium goes to pay for auto theft claims.
• In Washington State, auto theft cost taxpayers over $273 million in 2003 in police costs alone.
• Even if you are an insured car driver, the FBI estimates that each car theft costs citizens $6,701 in insurance deductibles, replacement costs, alternative transportation costs, and increased insurance rates.
• In Washington State, $300 million was lost to car theft in 2004 alone!

These staggering numbers make a strong case for getting tougher on car theft and those criminals who are causing such harm.

IV. Profile of a Car Thief and Current Sanctions

In a time when crime rates are falling, it is important to consider why the criminal element may be turning to car theft as their “crime of choice.” The answer, according to solid police intelligence, is not what you might think. While professional, commercial car thieves may contribute to the rising trend in auto thefts, the vast majority of car thefts are committed by low level criminals who use the cars for quick transportation and as a means to commit additional crimes. These car thieves steal the cars, drive them around, and then take whatever personal property they can find, including car seats, CDs stereos, and cell phones. After the cars are dumped, it is up to the police to locate and recover the cars so that they can be returned to their owners.

The increase in car theft also can be attributed to the fairly low risk of being caught. Nationally, only about 13.1% of all car thefts are cleared by arrest, according to FBI statistics. In 2003, 461 juveniles and 2,027 adults were arrested for motor vehicle theft in Washington, amounting to a total of only 2,488 arrests. Given the number of cars reported stolen in 2003, a suspect had about a 1 in 16 chance of being arrested for motor vehicle theft in Washington that year.

The chance of being seriously punished is even slimmer. Under current sentencing laws in Washington, it takes five convictions before a juvenile car thief can receive more than 30 days detention. Upon the fifth conviction for auto theft, the juvenile offender receives a sentence of 15 to 36 weeks (3.75 to 9 months). The sentencing range for a first time adult charged with auto theft is 0 to 60 days in jail. It takes seven convictions before an adult auto thief faces a prison sentence. Even then, the 12-month sentence becomes an actual sentence of six months after good time reductions are factored in.

To fight the growing epidemic of auto theft in King County, it is time for the community and the criminal justice system to come together. Citizens and businesses in our community are worried about the severity of this problem and demand action. While legislative changes should be considered to ensure that auto theft laws provide a meaningful deterrent, this problem can not wait for, and will not be solved by, legislative action alone.

V. A New Message for the Community: Let's Curb Car Theft

To deter auto thefts in King County, action is required on two fronts: (1) Law enforcement and prosecutors must make greater use of existing tools and laws to detect, investigate, and prosecute car thieves; and (2) The public must be educated and engaged in an aggressive effort to prevent car theft before it happens.

A. Innovative Police Efforts to Stop Car Thieves

Recently, law enforcement in King County has been increasing its efforts to disrupt, interdict, and arrest car thieves - with an emphasis on high-impact, repeat offenders. Patrol officers are out on the streets each day recovering more stolen cars and responding to an increasing number of citizen calls reporting missing cars. In response to the rising number of car thefts, our law enforcement agencies have become creative.

Two law enforcement groups that have persistently drawn attention to the car theft problem are the Western States Auto Theft Investigators and the King County Police Chiefs Association. Both groups have been involved in tracking and sharing information on auto theft with all police agencies in King County for a number of years. For 2005, the King County Police Chiefs Association auto theft committee is being chaired by Kirkland Police Captain Greg Edwards together with King County Sheriff's Office Chief Scott Somers and Federal Way Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick. This year's focus for the committee is on working with police agencies to better process stolen vehicle recoveries and to improve crime intelligence sharing on car theft trends and the identification of high-impact car thieves. Renton Police Detective Robert Onishi, a long-time leader in combating auto theft, will head an effort to develop "best practices" for the recovery and processing of stolen vehicles.

In addition, police agencies across the County, such as the Seattle Police Department, the Bellevue Police Department and the Kirkland Police Department have acquired new technology and are adopting new strategies to curb the car thieves. These efforts include:

• "Bait cars" that are outfitted with satellite tracking equipment as well as hidden cameras that film and record car thieves at the wheel of the car. Once a bait car is stolen, police can shut down the engine of the car and lock the thief inside until law enforcement arrives.
• Targeting a "top 10 list" of high-impact, serial offenders for arrest and prosecution. Police intelligence confirms that many of the car thefts are caused by a few high-impact, serial offenders who steal cars at each opportunity. Working with the prosecutor to aggressively investigate and prosecute these offenders takes them out of circulation.
• Using new scanning technology that allows police to immediately scan license plates of cars on the street against a database of stolen vehicle reports. With this technology police can instantly identify stolen cars and speed up their recovery.
• Using crime scene investigation technology to assist in the identification of car thieves. With forensic science technology police can process a recovered vehicle to obtain fingerprints, or, in some cases, DNA, to identify the car thief.

It is now time to join with these law enforcement efforts and to undertake more aggressive prosecution of these cases.

B. Partnering with Police: King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Car Theft Initiative (CTI)

The King County Prosecuting Attorney is taking immediate action to stem the rising number of car thefts by redirecting existing resources and requesting additional resources from the King County Council to more aggressively prosecute auto theft. The Prosecuting Attorney will focus these dedicated resources in the following ways.

First, the PAO will form a specialized Auto Theft Unit comprised of three deputy prosecutors to lead the prosecution of these crimes. Members of the Auto Theft Unit will be placed at each felony courthouse in King County – Seattle, Kent, and Juvenile Court so as to cover the entire King County jurisdiction. This Unit will focus on all aspects of auto theft cases to ensure more aggressive case filing, more timely case processing, and increased sanctions – particularly for repeat offenders.

Second, the new Auto Theft Unit will work closely with all law enforcement agencies in King County to assist in their investigation of this crime. Members of the Auto Theft Unit will work with law enforcement to get more auto theft cases filed on an expedited basis. This work will include assisting police with the development of “best practices” for car theft investigations and training officers and detectives to implement those practices. The Auto Theft Unit also will work with police to identify and aggressively prosecute repeat auto thieves to keep them off our streets.

Finally, the King County Prosecuting Attorney work with the Criminal Justice Council, a group of criminal justice leaders in King County, to discuss and review the appropriateness of different types of sentencing sanctions available under existing law for car theft defendants in adult and juvenile court. While King County has worked in recent years to expand the use of alternatives to confinement for appropriate defendants, the time has come to review whether those alternatives are appropriate for car theft defendants – particularly repeat and high impact offenders.

C. Public Education to Deter Car Theft

In conjunction with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s increased emphasis on the prosecution of car theft, the Office will join with other law enforcement partners to educate the public on car theft and prevention techniques. By learning more about auto theft and its prevention, members of the public can significantly reduce their chances of becoming a victim of the crime and will help stop the rising number of car thefts in our community.

For example, the Washington State Patrol estimates that one out of five stolen cars are started with a key that was left in the car. The Seattle Police Department reports that the use of keys and "hot wiring" cars were the two most common methods for thieves to steal cars in Seattle. In addition, street parking is the most common location for a car to be stolen in Seattle. By providing the public information about the methods and location of car thefts, the public will become savvier about how to prevent the thefts.

In response to this epidemic, there are some simple, practical things that car owners can do to make their cars safe from this insidious crime:

• cars should always be locked when leaving the vehicle;
• all keys should be removed from the car (even “hidden” keys);
• all windows should be closed completely and valuables removed from sight; and
• vehicles should be parked, where practicable, in well-lit areas or garages. (See attached chart #3.)

With little expense in some cases, the public can gain additional protection for their car by adding an anti-theft device to their vehicle. Some of these anti-theft devices include:

• audible alarm systems;
• steering wheel locks;
• steering column collars;
• theft deterrent decals;
• kill switches; and
• tracking systems.

Finally, the public can protect their own neighborhoods by keeping a watchful eye on the streets and neighborhood activity. By calling local law enforcement when suspicious activity is seen, the public can help deter car thefts and related crime. By employing some or all of these steps, the public can join in the fight against car thieves.

VI. Conclusion

Auto theft is a steadily increasing crime in Washington State. This year is no exception. In the first 5 months of 2005, the auto theft rate in Washington went up nearly 15%. The increasing value of cars, the lack of tough sanctions, and the ease with which cars can be stolen have all contributed to this growth trend. While legislative changes to the auto theft laws should be considered, this problem must be address immediately.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney is committed to undertaking immediate new measures to stop the skyrocketing number of auto thefts that are challenging the livability of our County’s neighborhoods. The King County Prosecuting Attorney will form a specialized Unit for the aggressive prosecution of auto theft crimes. At the same time, the Prosecuting Attorney will work with local law enforcement agencies in King County to educate the public on how to prevent this crime. By working together, car theft in King County can be reduced and future criminals deterred. It is time for car thieves to learn that in this County, car theft will be curbed.

For Information Contact: Dan Donohoe: 206-296-9029

For more information, please also see King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng's News Release as well as Car Theft Initiatve (CTI) Talking Points.

Dated: August 10, 2005