Tuesday, May 20, 2008
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.
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.
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