Car thefts drop in Snohomish County
Published 10:55 pm Monday, April 13, 2009
Fewer cars were stolen in Washington state last year, and Everett’s ranking fell on the list of the worst cities in the U.S. for auto thefts.
Still, many areas of the state, including Snohomish County, continue to suffer from a high number of stolen cars, according to a report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, sponsored by the NW Insurance Council, an insurance industry lobbying group.
Every day an average of 87 vehicles are stolen statewide, the report said.
Car thefts in Snohomish County fell thanks in large part to the formation in October of a special task force, said Scott Wagner, a senior special agent with the crime bureau.
In 2007, a law was passed that stiffened penalties for people convicted of stealing vehicles. It also directed $10 from every traffic ticket toward funding auto-theft prevention. That money helps pay for the Snohomish County Auto Theft Task Force and similar programs elsewhere in the state, Wagner said.
“Consumers literally pay billions each year for auto theft,” said Karl Newman, president of the NW Insurance Council.
The cost to replace and repair stolen cars is reflected in higher insurance premiums that everyone must pay, he said.
Vehicle theft is the nation’s No. 1 property crime, costing each year an estimated $7.4 billion.
Each year, a Hot Spots Report on stolen cars is published by the bureau. In the study, Everett and Snohomish County are included as part of the greater Seattle metro region.
In 2008, nearly 32,000 vehicles were reported stolen in Washington, said Darrin Sanger, a spokesman for the insurance council. That’s a 25 percent drop from 2007.
“While the decrease in thefts is encouraging for drivers, auto theft is still up 21 percent since 1995,” he said.
Prevention is the best way to avoid having a vehicle stolen, experts said. Drivers should always lock theirs car and should never leave valuables visible.
Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com.
