Yesterday we received this note from Seattle Police Department Crime Prevention officer Terrie Johnston. She reviews the police incident reports on a daily basis, and while doing so noticed an alarming trend over the last week in our area:
Today upon reviewing the reported crime for Queen Anne and Magnolia, I noticed that in the past 7 days there were three vehicles stolen from Magnolia (Volvo SW; Toyota Highlander and an Acura Integra) and 4 vehicles stolen from Queen Anne (2 Subaru Legacys; KIA Rio; and a BMW). This is in addition to a theft of a license plate on Queen Anne, and several car prowls. I found that number of incidents to be abnormally high. I phoned the Auto Theft Sergeant and he said the number of Auto Thefts in Seattle are down, and have been decreasing steadily. In fact, we are at nearly 1/3 of the number of Auto Thefts which occurred in 2005. However, we agreed that there are some simple things we can do to try and prevent becoming a victim of auto theft.
This sergeant reports that he uses a steering wheel locking device on every car he owns, and he uses the device, every time he parks his car. These devices act as a good visual deterrent. They are just one more thing the thief has to disable in an attempt to steal the vehicle. There are also a variety of locking metal devices that can disable everything from your gearshift, gas pedal, brake pedal, hood, tires, etc.
Johnston also suggests a few other tips for keeping your cars safe from prowls and thefts. “If you have a garage, use it. Park your car in there!” she writes. “Keep the garage and any other doors leading into the garage locked, and keep car doors locked inside the garage.”
According to Johnston, two-thirds of all auto thefts occur at night. Because of this, installing motion-sensitive lighting around car ports, driveways, parking areas and alleyways may help deter thieves from targeting those cars. She also recommends that residents leave their front porch lights on from dusk until dawn.
Cars are often stolen for their parts (including airbags). It can take an expert thief as little as seven seconds and one screwdriver to break into a vehicle, and less than one minute to drive away. Please be vigilant for strangers on your block, trying door handles, looking into vehicles. You can call 9-1-1 to report suspicious activity.