A car is stolen every eleven minutes in Washington State and the number of auto thefts has risen 60 percent in the last eight years.

To tackle this growing problem, King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng today unveiled a new prosecution unit aimed at cracking down on a crime wave that impacts an increasing number of car owners in King County.

The new prosecution unit is part of a significant change in policy for handling the staggering increase in auto theft cases throughout King County.

The new program is called the "Car Theft Initiative," and prosecutors will begin targeting auto thefts for much more aggressive prosecution and punishment.

The auto theft prosecution unit will be comprised of three deputy prosecutors who will have expertise in the filing and prosecution of auto theft cases. They will also provide assistance to law enforcement officers for the development of cases which are referred for prosecution.

In addition, prosecutors will now file all in-custody auto theft cases on a rush basis, which is the same standard for serious violent crimes such as murder and rape. Auto theft cases will be filed within 72 hours of arrest.

Maleng said his office will also use this new initiative to begin identifying the most active repeat car thieves and develop a "Most Wanted" list for more aggressive prosecution and seek longer sentences for chronic repeat offenders.

"We must form a solid partnership of 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," Maleng said.
At a morning news conference to announce the new program, Maleng was joined by various representatives of local law enforcement.

For more information, please also see Car Theft Initiative (CTI) Talking Points as well as Car Theft Initiatve (CTI): Curbing Car Theft.

Dated: August 10, 2005