WASHINGTON, USA — The rate of car thefts in Washington state has dropped significantly in 2024, according to new data released by the Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force (PSATTF).
There have been 24,290 vehicles stolen in the state so far this year, which PSATTF says is a 30% reduction from a year ago. Per a chart included in the release showing the trend of statewide car thefts through October in years past, both 2022 and 2023 saw well over 30,000 car thefts in that period.
More locally, PSATTF says 1,088 cars were reported stolen in October 2024 in King County and 325 were reported stolen in Pierce County. Though the organization never released October 2023 numbers, September 2023 saw 1,431 cars reported stolen in King County and 705 vehicles reported stolen in Pierce County.
"Just seeing the numbers come down is a huge win for law enforcement and the community," said Sgt. Darren Moss with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department. "We're very thankful that we have the task force. It's still a valuable tool today because it's going to keep the numbers down and it's going to go after the people doing the most harm to the community."
Moss credits looser restrictions on police pursuits and a focused effort on tracking down suspects who may be linked to multiple thefts.
"If we lock up just a handful of people, it changes everything," Moss said. "If we put one or five people away a day, you're looking at 20-80 cars not being stolen every month."
Overall in 2023, there were 54,187 cars reported stolen statewide, according to the Washington Association of Police Chiefs and Sheriffs (WASPC) Crime in Washington report.
After hitting record highs in each of the last two years, data shows that the numbers are on the decline for car thefts in Washington.
Relief for auto body shops
During the peak of thefts, many auto body shops struggled to keep up with soaring demand for repairs. Hyundai and Kia vehicles were especially targeted after online tutorials on how to steal them went viral.
"It's definitely died down a little bit. For a while, we were unable to fix them due to parts shortages," said Bryan Bowden, an estimator at Bonney Lake Collision Center. "Most shops were turning away Kias and Hyuandais because parts weren't available."
Now, Bowden said, many body shops are back on track thanks to the combination of supply chain needs being met and fewer thefts.
"Parts became available. [We] started getting them fixed and back on the road. Instead of getting ten or 15 per week, now it's like a couple a month."