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.

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.

It’s Saturday night and it’s been one longer week of gathering deadlines and dealing with the staff. You saunter into the parking garage and look for your – it is not there. While having your car stolen is not the end of the world (although it may feel like it at the time), it is upsetting, time-consuming, expensive, and a complete harass.

Make an informed choice on your next vehicle buy by knowing which vehicles are most frequently stolen in your state. Some vehicles are just simple targets for criminals because they are admired and easy to sell off in the stolen car market.

1. Never leave your car unattended with the keys in the ignition.

2. Don’t leave car keys lying around on tables, desks or key hooks.

3. Never hide a second set of keys anywhere on your car; thieves know where to look.

4. If you have off-street parking, use it. Even better, park behind lockable gates or in a locked garage.

5. At night, park in a well lit area.

6. Use secure parking facilities where they are available.

7. In car parks where you must leave the keys, ask the operator how the keys will be secured.

8. When leaving your vehicle unattended, fully close the windows, lock all the doors and take the keys with you.

9. Never leave valuable items such as mobile phones, bags, CDs in sight in your unattended vehicle.

10. If you have a steering lock, use it. Better still, for maximum protection install an engine immobiliser that meets Australian Standards.

In some countries the import laws are very restrictive and they don’t have the dealers and the network to distribute the cars like the Mercedes and Lexus SUVs, Rolls Royces, Porches, and Bentleys.

“We know of a guy over in Windsor, Canada who sold 40 stolen cars to a dealership in Panama,” says Horsley. “They have customers all over the world, primarily in Russia, Colombia, Panama, and the Middle East. In some places like Bogota, Colombia, and Peru there is a need for the type of vehicles we see stolen here. In order to be able to handle the rough terrain or just to look good and to be stylish, there is a demand for luxury sport utility vehicles. We’ve heard that the same vehicles stolen in Michigan have sold for three times their value on the Russian black market.”

Because countries don’t share motor vehicle information, it is easy to have a vehicle re-titled in another country. A car can come across the border from Canada with a forged, stolen, or cloned Canadian title and permit. That car can get re-titled in the U.S., exported overseas, and look perfect on paper.

Meanwhile, Special Agent Horsley continues with his investigations. You know where to find him: looking for stolen cars, on the border.

Taking precautionary measures can minimize your chances of becoming the victim of auto theft. Here are some tips you can use to avoid being the victim of a car thief:

Never leave your car unlocked, or running, even to dash into a business for just a second.

Never leave keys in the car or ignition, inside a locked garage, or in hide-a-key boxes.

Always roll up your windows and lock the car, even if it is parked in front of your home.

Never leave valuables in plain view, even if your car is locked. Put them in the trunk out-of-sight.

Always park in high-traffic, well-lighted areas, when possible.

Install a mechanical device that locks the steering wheel, column, or brakes.

Investigate the purchase of a vehicle theft tracking/security system, especially if you own one of the frequently-stolen vehicles.

Never leave personal identification documents, vehicle ownership title, or credit cards in your vehicle.

If you must leave your key with a valet, attendant, or mechanic, leave only the ignition key. Make sure you are dealing with a reputable firm.

In high theft areas the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) should be etched on windows, doors, fenders and trunk lid. This makes it difficult for a thief to market your stolen car parts.

Copy your license plate and vehicle information (VIN) numbers on a card and keep them with you. If your vehicle is stolen, the police will need this information to take a report.

Many vehicles today come with some type of security system from the factory. Normally there are upgraded systems available if you ask. The best choices are systems that shut off the fuel supply so that a car can’t be started or driven.

If your vehicle is stolen, report it to the police immediately.

Car thefts in the region have been moribund so much that the metro area is no longer on the top-ten list countrywide for uppermost number of car thefts. The Seattle metro region was grade sixth in the nation per capita for car thefts, but a 2007 study shows that the region has dropped to 16th. Prosecutors credit the turn down to the work of local law enforcement and the King County Prosecutor’s Car Theft part, which was bent in 2005 in an endeavor to break down on the skyrocketing number of car thefts in King County

King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said the county has knowledgeable a 55 percent reduce in car thefts as 2005. The office files cases on a hurry foundation and prosecutors are seeking longer sentences. “It is our goal to see the Seattlearea drop out of the top 25. We are no longer a welcoming place to car thieves. Satterberg said that local police bureau have done an outstanding job of reducing car thefts. Novel investigative tools are being made use of, such as lure cars with cartridge cameras. Some local police agencies have also urbanized particular enforcement teams that are locate and arresting replicate car thieves. Special enforcement teams have been ascertained at the police unit for Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Kent, and Renton.

The predictable yearly savings for insurance costs as a result of the drop in car thefts is over $50 million in King County alone.

Near San Diego’s border-area lot of car theft complaints was being received by the police department. But in past six months there have been a reduction in car thefts, because strict action has been taken by the concerned police officials. The policy which came into force in April is aimed at reducing the high number of fraudulent stolen-vehicle reports in the area, and investigators say it is working.

According to a report, the number of auto thefts have fallen from 624 to 558 in the months after the policy went into effect. Patrol officers say that in areas like otay mesa and san ysidro the auto thefts have reduced from eight to five in a day. According to a source, most cars that were stolen every year were- Honda accord in 1991, Honda civic in 1995, Toyota Camry in 1989, Acura Integra in 1994. Most stolen cars used to go straight over the border. So police officials had to take a strict action.

In Brownsville area there have been reports of auto theft. In order to prevent auto theft both Brownsville Police and Texas Insurance Council have set up a campaign to reduce auto thief in Brownsville area. This program is read like “LOCK, TAKE AND HIDE”. It means that locks your car, take the keys with you and hide your personal belongings.

According to a police chief, during holiday season there is increase in car thefts. So only they have set up this program. If they follow this rule their car will be safe. This program is spread in various cities like Austin, Houston, Laredo, Del Rio, and Brownsville. In a month, nearly 300 burglaries and 25-30 auto thefts used to take place each month in Brownsville area, but those statistics have been reduced from previous years. Due to this campaign there can be a reduction of 15 to 25 percent in the next few months.

Lock all the doors of the car when you are buying even a small thing from the store, because thief can steal the car in a second. If a thief sees the keys dangling in the car he may steal your new car. Nowadays thieves have become so clever that they do not want to steal the car but items that are in car like the cell phones, credit cards, checkbooks etc. Avoid fancy accessories in your car. Car thieves generally steal expensive rims, spoilers etc from the car.

Nowadays auto thieves have become expert in stealing a car; they can break the lock of even a security device. But there are some new security devices in the market which may scare the auto thief. A new type of alarm is introduced in the market; if anyone touches the vehicle it will create a loud sound. Plenty of auto security devices are available in the market; you can choose anyone from the market.