The public are being told to pay closer attention to their vehicles. Criminals are stealing them for more than just joy riding. In two recent incidents, suspects in vehicle thefts intentionally rammed Seattle patrol cars while escaping from the police. The police said they’re being stolen and then used to commit crimes – and then ditched.
Lawmakers are deciding to do something about it. It was reported that members on both sides of the aisle have had to deal with this personally. Lawmakers are discussing ways to get a handle on the growing problem of car thefts. A bill passed the Senate unanimously and passed out of the House Committee on Appropriations last week. Senator Christine Rolfes, D-Kitsap Peninsula, cosponsored Senate Bill 5672 in Olympia, which would support and protect Washington’s Auto Theft Prevention Account, which gives grants to local task forces for enforcing and prosecuting this crime.
Last Friday was a bit much to take in. The first incident occurred just before 11 p.m. in the Queen Anne neighborhood. Officers located a suspect in a stolen vehicle. When officers tried to stop the vehicle, the suspect reversed into an unoccupied police car. The stolen car pushed the patrol car into the roadway. The patrol car came to a stop against another occupied police vehicle. More cars were rammed while maneuvering to escape police.
Incident two occurred around on Saturday morning. Police located a different stolen vehicle on the 2700 block of Rainier Avenue South. That vehicle also fled as officers approached. Officers located the same car in an alleyway on South Hanford Street. When officers tried to stop the vehicle, the suspect rammed the stolen car into the front of a police vehicle and fled the scene. The patrol car sustained minor damage but no injuries were reported.
Police asked the public to be aware that there has been an increase in stolen vehicle crime. Seattle police are still looking for suspects and stolen vehicles. In the wake of these crimes, residents are being told they should “try to reduce the amount of valuable items that are inside their vehicles.”
