50 cars were stolen per day in King County in September

The Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force reported approximately 50 cars were stolen per day in King County during the month of September.

A total of 1,115 vehicles were reportedly stolen in King County last month, compared to 386 stolen cars in Pierce County. Despite the alarming numbers, this is an improvement from 2023.

“There has been a decline in the number of auto thefts compared to this time last year,” Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force wrote in its report. “We believe this is due, in part, to several key arrests of ‘Kia Boyz’ who were operating throughout the region and stealing numerous vehicles each week.”

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There have been 22,029 vehicles reported stolen statewide so far in 2024, down 11.8% compared to 2023. For comparison, there was an average of 71 theft reports per day in September 2023.

According to the Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force, cars in apartment complexes are the most vulnerable to car theft.

Nationally, 2024 is on pace to be the first year car theft has dropped since 2019, as there was a record-breaking 1,020,729 vehicles were stolen in 2023, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Washington D.C., Colorado, Nevada, Washington and California are the top five states in the country with the most car theft reports. New Hampshire, Maine and Idaho had the least amount of reported car theft, with eight of the 10 states having the lowest auto theft rates being on the East Coast.

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Pueblo, Colo., Bakersfield, Calif., Denver, Colo., Memphis, Tenn., Portland, Ore. and Albuquerque, N.M. were the only cities with a higher rate of car theft than Seattle.

Stolen vehicles cost Americans roughly $8 billion annually, according to the National Highway Traffic Administration.

Tips to prevent car thefts

• Remove or hide all valuables.
• Lock your car.
• Don’t leave keys or fobs inside.
• Don’t leave your vehicle running unattended (exhaust in cold months makes these vehicles easy to spot).
• Use anti-theft devices (alarm, kill switch, steering wheel lock).
• Park in well-lit areas.

And despite all the advancements in car theft prevention, steering wheel locks remain the Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force’s favorite tool, especially for Hyundai and Kia car models.

“Even if you have upgraded your software, we still suggest using a steering wheel lock as a visual deterrent,” the Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force stated. “Otherwise, you may end up with a shattered window and a damaged ignition before the thief realizes your car can’t be stolen. Multiple theft attempts are reported each day.”

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Officials also said leaving a GPS tracker in your vehicle can help the police track down a vehicle if it does get stolen.

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.