LAKEWOOD, Wash. — Twenty-seven car prowls are being investigated by the Lakewood Police Department.
All of the crimes took place in the city on the night of July 21. Most of the prowls happened at a Lakewood condominium complex.
"It's like we've been reporting this, reporting this, and reporting this, and nothing is getting done," said Susy Davis.
Davis has lived at the Bluffs Condominiums off Zircon Drive Southwest since 2019. She said this complex has had its fair share of criminal activity.
"In the last two or three months we've had a lot of car-break ins, a lot of car thefts, windows broken," said Davis.
That trend continued with the most recent string of crimes happening July 21.
"In Lakewood we had a total of 27 vehicle prowls reported, 12 of those were at the Bluffs and 10 were at an adjacent condo community down the street all on the same night," said Lieutenant Peter Johnson with the Lakewood Police Department.
Lt. Johnson said there were five other vehicle prowls that happened that same night throughout the city.
Meanwhile, Johnson said police did have leads on the suspect vehicles involved in the north Lakewood incidents. They were spotted in the Lakewood Town Center parking lot.
"They were driving recklessly and doing donuts,” said Lt. Johnson. “They greeted us with some foul gestures and sped out. But based on current laws, we couldn’t chase them."
Under current state law, police are limited in when they can conduct a pursuit. Police officers must have reasonable suspicion that a suspect was involved in a violent offense, sex offense, an escape, DUI, vehicular assault, or domestic violence.
Johnson said with last Friday’s incidents at the Bluff Condominiums, there have now been 13 total reported vehicle prowls at the complex since the beginning of this year. He said last year during that same time frame there were only three. In 2021, there were only two.
These numbers don't sit well with residents. Davis said she's seen an increase of people moving out of the complex because of the growing issues.
"They're feeling uncomfortable, they're feeling violated,” said Davis. “It's like there's no reason for it."