Full Notification

GRANT COUNTY, Wash. (20NOV2013) -- The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is reminding citizens to take preventative measures to stop auto thefts.

During the past month in areas patrolled by the Sheriff’s Office there been 14 reported vehicle thefts – a dramatic increase compared to previous months.

“Auto theft is usually a crime of opportunity,” said Sheriff Tom Jones. “If people will heed our simple advice, the likelihood of them becoming an auto theft victim decreases.”

Tips from the Sheriff’s Office:

• Always lock your car
• Always roll up your windows
• Always remove your valuables from your car or lock them in the trunk
• Never leave your car running and unattended
• Try to park in a well-lit place

People who have information about stolen vehicles can contact the Grant County Sheriff’s Office at 509-754-2011 ext. 468, or send information to [email protected]. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

Additional auto theft facts from the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority:

WHY CARS ARE STOLEN? Vehicles may be stolen for any of a number of reasons and to further any number of purposes. Here are some of them:
• To sell the entire vehicle
• To sell the parts
• To obtain transportation
• To trade for drugs
• To go joyriding
• To commit other crimes
• To commit insurance fraud
• To clone your vehicle

WHICH CARS ARE STOLEN MOST OFTEN IN WASHINGTON?
• 1992 Honda Accord
• 1995 Honda Civic
• 1990 Toyota Camry
• 1995 Acura Integra
• 1993 Subaru Legacy
• 1994 Nissan Sentra
• 1993 Dodge Caravan
• 1994 Saturn SL
• 1994 Ford Explorer
• 1995 Nissan Pathfinder

WHO STEALS AUTOS? According to the criminal history data provided by Washington State Patrol, a large majority of motor vehicle theft offenders are white males between the ages of 15 and 27.
Of these offenders only 2.84% of the arrests entailed guns or firearms; and only 9.93% were drug-related.

While the majority of arrests were not gun-related or drug-related, 39.86% of first-time auto theft offenders had a drug offense in their criminal history background (either before or after their motor vehicle theft arrest). For multiple auto theft offenders, this percentage of prior or subsequent drug offenses increases to 60.26%.

There is clearly a drug nexus to auto theft, as many law enforcement and prosecutors working in this area attest, particularly with respect to repeat offenders.

HOW ARE INSURANCE RATES AFFECTED? Coverage for theft is included in the comprehensive part of an auto insurance policy, a voluntary coverage. Premiums are affected by the number of insured cars stolen and their cost.

The number of theft claims is declining but the dollar size of claims has gone up, reflecting the higher value of new cars on the road. In addition, the theft rate does not reflect the theft of car parts such as air bags and catalytic converters, a $50 million per year problem where the cost of replacement includes both parts and labor.

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PR99/AGT1