PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — It's the last thing a car owner needs to deal with: getting their car stolen.
Data from law enforcement agencies in Washington show car thefts are up significantly in more recent years than in previous ones.
"If you think that they're doing it just for the joyride, that's false," Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesperson Sgt. Darren Moss said.
The concern is car thefts are usually linked to other crimes, sometimes violent ones, according to Moss.
A social media post made by a joint auto theft task force group detailed a long list of auto thefts in Pierce County during the Fourth of July weekend, which showed about 43 reported car thefts during the holiday weekend alone.
KING 5 asked if 43 thefts during a single weekend is considered high. The Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force (PSATFF), which comprises multiple law enforcement agencies, said 43 thefts trends low compared to overall averages.
In April 2021, the average number of auto thefts in Pierce County was 14 per day, compared to 27 per day in April 2022. The average in May 2021 in Pierce County was 11, compared to 22 per day in May 2022, according to Sgt. Jeff Carroll with the PSATTF. Numbers for June this year were not yet available.
Overall in Pierce County, there were a little more than 900 auto thefts reported countywide per month from January through March - an average of about 30 auto thefts per day, according to Moss.
But while 43 is considered lower-than-average for a single weekend, auto theft numbers have been much higher in recent years compared to pre-pandemic years.
Moss, the PSATTF, as well as a Tacoma Police Department spokesperson, pointed to similar reasons why auto thefts are on the rise. They include a July 2021 state law that limited law enforcement from making certain pursuits.
"That's one of the things that really gave the criminals the OK to put the pedal to the medal and take off," Moss said.
Moss also said jail space has been limited due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“Our jail has been locked down with COVID, so we weren't allowed to book for misdemeanors or lower-level felonies, which include auto theft and burglary," Moss said.
Law enforcement agencies have asked the Washington Legislature to amend the unintended consequences of the pursuit law, but the bill did not make it through the most recent legislative session.