Today I want to highlight a new initiative designed to tackle the one area of crime in our community that continues to skyrocket -- auto theft.

By the time we finish this announcement; two more cars will be stolen in Washington State -- that's one every eleven minutes.

I hope one of those is not yours, or mine, but 132 Washington citizens will walk out to their cars today only to find an empty parking space where their car used to be.

Talk to anyone whose car has been stolen, there were over 44,000 such victims last year, and they will tell you their personal stories of that traumatic event.

It is not just inconvenience; a stolen car leaves a hole in the victim's life, interferes with the obligation to job and family and causes serious financial loss, often to those struggling to make ends meet. In the last 8 years, auto theft has risen over 60% in Washington State. This is during a time that has seen most other categories of crime fall dramatically.

It is no secret that there is a direct connection between drug abuse, particularly meth addiction, and car theft.

Addicts steal cars to commit other crimes, such as mail theft. They take personal property in the car and often maliciously destroy the car.

The police, the car owner, and ultimately the taxpayers of our state are left holding the bag.

As King County Prosecuting Attorney, I have faced a number of different challenges presented by increasing crime trends.

Whether it was child sexual abuse, the wave of crack cocaine on our streets, or the random and senseless violence that went with it, we knew we had to change our way of doing business if we were going to change the conduct of the criminals.

We have responded effectively to each individual challenge by creating a special unit to focus on the crime, and by creating partnerships with law enforcement to build cases that will withstand the test of our court system.

We have also helped craft a public message to enlist the power of our citizens to fight crime.

In the arena of car theft, I have for years argued that our state sentencing laws are too lenient.

I would like to see tougher sentences, but this problem can no longer await legislative action. We must take steps now.

We must form a solid partnership, police, prosecutors and citizens in order to combat this crime wave, for it is far better to be a partner against crime than a victim of it.

Today I am announcing a "Car Theft Initiative", which I call CTI for short, to respond to the growing problem of car theft in our community.

The elements of the initiative are as follows:

First, we will create a special unit of 3 deputy prosecutors who will become our experts in car theft investigations and prosecutions. One will be assigned to the Kent office, one to downtown Seattle and the other in Juvenile Court.

These deputy prosecutors will see every car theft case that comes to our office and act with instructions not only to vigorously prosecute cases that come before them, but to work pro-actively with police detectives to build the best possible cases against the most prolific perpetrators.

Second, we will invoke our power to "rush-file" cases within 72-hours of arrest whenever possible. Rush-filing is usually reserved for murder cases or other violent crimes, but that is just our practice, it is not the law. I want to use this power to impose immediate consequences on the thief when we catch him.

It is more efficient for us and better for public safety when we catch and hold an active car thief than if we take weeks and months to process the case while he continues his destructive career.

Third, we will work closely with police agencies to identify the most active car thieves in the area and target them for aggressive prosecution. Like the FBI, we'll have our own "Ten Most Wanted" list. A small number of thieves are responsible for a large percentage of crimes. Targeting these criminals will have a real impact on auto theft.

Fourth, we will work with police to improve our methods of investigation to build the strongest possible cases. We will participate in roll call and academy training for officers, to ensure that they have the tools and training to make the best possible case when they encounter a person in a stolen car on the street.

Every case must contain some evidence that the defendant knew the car was stolen. This evidence needs to be collected at the scene, before the arrest. A few simple questions of the suspect can meet this test. We will work with police to make sure every case has sufficient evidence.

Fifth, we will work with the Criminal Justice Council of King County, the courts and the other county policy makers, to ensure that car thieves receive appropriate punishment.

The County is rightfully proud of its many jail alternative programs, but these may not be right for all offenders, especially repeat offenders. We want car thieves to serve some real jail time, for punishment's sake and for the protection of the public.

The punishment must be swift and certain, and be a priority within our justice system.

Finally, we will be a part of a public education campaign to help people protect their most valuable personal property, their car.

There are simple steps each one of us can take to make our cars less attractive to thieves. Today, car theft is a simple crime to commit; we can each do something to raise the degree of difficulty for the thief.

It is time to curb car theft in King County.

The Car Theft Initiative we announce today in partnership with police agencies throughout the county and the state will increase the strength of our cases and the immediacy of the consequences to the criminal.

I also want to thank several members of my office who will lead the CTI:

Assistant Chief Criminal Deputy Kathy Van Olst, who will oversee this project;
Senior Deputy Shaya Calvo, who will chair the Car Theft Unit;

And Bonnie Glenn, deputy chief of staff, who will be responsible for public outreach and community awareness.

Thank you each for your leadership.

I also want to introduce three members of the law enforcement community who have dedicated their energies toward apprehending car thieves:

1) Detective Bob Onishi of the Renton Police Department, who is also President of the Western States Auto Theft Investigators; and

2) Capt. Greg Edwards of the Kirkland Police Department, who is also chair of the King County Police Chiefs Auto Theft Committee.

3) Chief Scott Sommers of the King County Sheriff's Office, representing Sheriff Sue Rahr. Chief Sommers has been on the front lines of the battle against car theft for decades, and we will rely on his expertise to implement the critical partnership with police agencies throughout the county.

Det. Onishi, Capt. Edwards and Chief Sommers will be happy to answer any questions you have about auto theft as we wrap up this press conference.

Next, let me introduce the Chief of the Washington State Patrol, John Batiste.

Also joining me is Federal Way Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick.

I have asked them each to explain how car theft has grown into a major law enforcement issue.

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

Dated: August 10, 2005