Car theft in Washington on the rise, more drivers seek out extra security for vehicles
BELLEVUE, Wash. - Car Toys in Bellevue used to be a place where people would come to check out new speakers or car radios, but lately much of their customer base isn’t looking for an upgrade, they’re looking for security.
"It comes down to that deterrence factor where if it’s just too hard they’re not going to do it," said August Mordaunt, a manager at Car Toys Bellevue.
Mordaunt told FOX 13 News most of the security items out there make it significantly harder or riskier to steal a car, whether it be a specialized car alarm that can detect the thief attempting to steal parts, or a little tool called a kill switch.
"Once you turn your key, nothing will happen, your starter won't move, so your car, everything will still be on except the car, the engine won't turn on. It’s one of our better ways of preventing it, definitely."
Kill switches are easy to get installed and definitely on the lower end of the price spectrum for security devices. Something like a secretly hidden GPS could set you back 1k, but Mordaunt says many customers feel it’s worth it. "It’s a sense of security to have that, just knowing where your car is. Yeah. it’s definitely something we do a lot of."
And he points out it’s a lot cheaper than buying a new car. Something more people are considering as theft rates grow.
According to the Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force, vehicle thefts increased dramatically in October as compared year to year. There were 796 vehicles stolen in Pierce County in October compared to 367 stolen during the same month in 2020.
In King County, there were 1346 vehicles stolen in October compared to 1199 stolen during the same month in 2020.
Statewide, there were 3404 vehicles stolen in October, compared to 2553 stolen during the same month in 2020.
If you have information on car theft suspects, please call the Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force at: (253) 329-2442 or email detectives at: autothefttips@wsp.wa.gov
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