Auto theft down in state, but we're still hard-hit

Lock your doors and don't leave your keys in your car.

Maybe that goes without saying, but the trade association NW Insurance Council said those two simple acts remain among the best ways to protect against the nation's No. 1 property crime.

The council on Friday released auto-theft statistics for Washington state in 2006 compiled by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an investigative arm of the insurance industry that tracks the number and kinds of cars reported stolen each year.

According to bureau statistics, auto theft declined in Washington state by about 11 percent last year, but the state remains hard-hit by car thieves.

According to the insurance statistics, 44,563 cars were reported stolen in the state last year, down from 50,198 in 2005.

Of those stolen in 2006, 31,256 were reported stolen from the metropolitan area that includes Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma and the Everett area, making it the sixth-favorite region for car thieves in the U.S. The Seattle region's theft rate per 100,000 residents was 975.

The Las Vegas metropolitan area was the nation's leading hot spot for car thieves with 22,441 reported auto thefts and a theft rate of 1,312 per 100,000 residents.

Dubious top 10

The 10 vehicles most frequently reported stolen in Washington state in 2006:

1. 1991 Honda Accord

2. 1995 Honda Civic

3. 1989 Toyota Camry

4. 1990 Acura Integra

5. 1986 Toyota pickup

6. 1994 Nissan Sentra

7. 1994 Saturn SL

8. 1993 Dodge Caravan

9. 1988 Honda Prelude

10. 1993 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee

Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau

Yakima ranked second in the state and ninth in the nation with a theft rate of 930 stolen cars per 100,000 residents, or 2,156 total cars stolen last year. Spokane ranked third in the state with about 769 per 100,000 residents, or 3,389 thefts total.

Unlike most U.S. cities, which overall showed a decline in auto thefts of more than 2 percent, Yakima's car-theft rate has climbed annually, according to Darrin Sanger, a spokesman for NW Insurance Council.

According to crime statistics released earlier this year by Seattle city officials, the city's rates of property crimes, such as forgery, fraud and auto theft, declined by 9 percent since 2005. Auto-theft rates were down 6 percent, according to a Seattle Police Department spokesman.

The mayor and police chief attributed the decline to a number of factors, including more officers on the streets and a crackdown on auto thieves by police and prosecutors.

Police spokesman Jeff Kappel said the creation of a major-crimes task force last year played a role in the decrease, as has keeping an ongoing list of the area's most prolific car thieves. In addition, he said, prosecutors have sought longer sentences for car thieves.

"People know they will get charged, prosecuted and convicted," he said. "And they know they'll be getting more jail time."

Despite the decrease this year, auto-theft rates have increased by more than 51 percent in Washington state since 1995, according to NW Insurance.

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com