While auto thefts have spiked across the state of Washington in 2022, Port Townsend Police Chief Thomas Olson hasn’t seen the same increase in the city.

The chief did cite car prowls as a recent problem for Port Townsend residents, with an uptick in prowls causing concern among community residents.

AUTO THEFTS INCREASE

Vehicle thefts are on the rise in Washington state, with an 88 percent year-to-date increase in 2022 while compared to last year, according to statistics provided by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

While the uptick of auto thefts may be plaguing police forces in Seattle or Spokane, Port Townsend hasn’t necessarily seen the same surge, according to Olson.

The chief shared statistics of vehicle thefts per year in Port Townsend to The Leader, discussing the crime figures that haven’t quite lined up with rates statewide.

“Before COVID, [2019] we had 22. During COVID [2020] it kind of shot up to 27, and coming out of COVID [2021] its dripped back down to 20,” Olson said.

“Those numbers are relatively consistent between all three years, there’s no major spike or drop,” he said.

So far in 2022, the Port Townsend Police Department has only seen three auto thefts in approximately five months, according to Olson.

“The one car theft from last month; the car that was stolen, the keys were located inside the other car and was left unlocked and [the criminal] took keys out and got in and drove it away. We can’t fix that,” Olson said.

Many police chiefs across Washington have listed a series of police reform bills passed by state legislators in 2021 — restricting police officers from getting involved in high-speed vehicle pursuits of suspects for non-violent crimes — as a primary cause for the increase in car thefts, but Olson hasn’t seen the same situation in Port Townsend.

“I don’t think that bill has had any impact on the number of cars stolen, whether we pursue them or not. In most cases, cars are insured for that. It’s a piece of property that can be replaced, whereas, someone’s life or serious injury cannot,” Olson said.

“I definitely think that could have some impact on crime, but [it’s] a little bit slower out here in Port Townsend. Our trends are a little bit slower than Puget Sound, and we will be monitoring our data,” he added.

PROWLER PROBLEMS

While auto thefts don’t appear to be a major concern in Port Townsend, there has been an increase in car prowls over the past few weeks.

“The lash of car prowls we had late last month appear to be related, and they’re crimes of opportunity. People come to neighborhoods and communities to look for cars to prowl,” Olson said.

“We did have a few in a short period of time; the first one was a group that did a number of car prowls within one night,” he said.

“All of these are crimes of opportunity and not planned … it’s pretty hard to have proactive policing to stop it, and they look for insecure vehicles or one with a large amount of valuables in it.”

While Port Townsend police has been short on staff for a while, according to Olson, he reiterated that the lack of available police officers isn’t a major cause for the uptick in car prowls.

“Unfortunately, whether we have one patrol or 10 patrols, we still can’t patrol every community,” he said.

The results of short staffing would affect the police “in areas more related to traffic and DUI enforcement and not [car prowls],” Olson said.

The police chief added that strengthening the relationship between the police and the community at large is important for preventing or minimizing property crimes in Port Townsend like car prowls and burglaries, and he encouraged residents to report suspicious activity.

“Our staffing is low; we need help from the community to deter crime, especially property crimes,” he said. “It’s being aware of your surroundings, knowing what looks right and what doesn’t, and if you see something that doesn’t look right, call us and we’ll investigate it. If you see anything that looks suspicious, call us.”

THEFT-PREVENTION TIPS

When it comes to being proactive in reducing one’s chances of having their own car prowled, the police chief listed a few ways to countering criminals.

“Two main things: One is to make sure your vehicle is secure, and don’t leave anything of value in plain sight like on a seat or console. That’s what people are looking for, easy targets,” he said.

Olson also added that citizens should lock any outdoor sheds or garages, as well as locking up bicycles and other forms of transportation.

Other tips to reduce the likelihood of car prowls are to install security camera(s) on one’s property, make sure spare keys are well hidden, ensure audible alarms and other theft-deterrent devices are on, and to not leave remote controls for garage doors inside vehicles, if possible.