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Many motor vehicle theft suspects are teens, Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force says

Local law enforcement agencies say motor vehicle thefts are becoming a growing problem in Puget Sound, and the perpetrators of the crime are getting younger.

TACOMA, Wash. — The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department says last week’s shooting in South Tacoma initially began like many crime sprees in the region: a report of a stolen vehicle.

Sgt. Darren Moss says motor vehicle theft is a growing problem in Pierce County. The Tacoma Police Department says as of August 20, the city has seen a 21% increase in motor vehicle thefts since that time last year.

“In 2022, it really started to take off,” he said. “In 2021, in July, the law changed, and by September we saw our first spike in auto thefts, and throughout the rest of 2021 and into 2022 it just started increasing more and more.”

The Tacoma Police detective who was shot last week was part of a task force meant to address this crime.

The Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force released a statement today, saying last week’s incident is an example of why a stolen vehicle report is usually just the beginning.

“A stolen car is not just a stolen vehicle,” Moss said. “They’re used constantly in aggravated assaults, in burglaries, in armed robberies, anything that you can think of, a crook is going to use a stolen vehicle because it helps them avoid detection.”

The task force also says most of the perpetrators of this crime are teenagers, with some kids as young as 12 years old.

Sgt. Moss says the increase in vehicle thefts in the region is starting to outpace other parts of the country, and the violence that comes with it is rising fast.

“Unfortunately, these are younger kids 14, 15, 16 years old that we’re catching," Moss said. "They’re going to find out the hard way that this is not a game. They’re going be charged as adults in a lot of these cases when they’re shooting people, committing murders, or they’re getting themselves killed as well.”

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