Local law enforcement officers and prosecutors are scratching their heads, trying to figure out why the rate of car thefts has gone up so dramatically this year. During January and February, 136 vehicles were reported stolen in Bellingham - a 300% increase from the 34 vehicles reported stolen in the city during the same two months one year earlier. That is 2.3 car thefts per day.

An additional 26 vehicles were reported stolen during the first 14 days of March. So far this year, more cars have been stolen in Bellingham than the total car thefts in 2019.

You know it is pretty bad when an investigator sent out to take a report of a stolen car spots another stolen car. The driver of the second stolen car escaped, but was later arrested that same day driving a third stolen car. On March 3, a stolen truck crashed into a Bellingham Police Department patrol vehicle after running a red light. The police seem to be finding stolen vehicles every time they turn around.

I’m not very worried personally even though our car is parked in Bellingham at least three days each week. The church parking lot is a pretty safe location and we don’t have occasion to be in Bellingham overnight. That doesn’t make us immune. I hope the fact that our car isn’t flashy, is not the type of car known for speed, and is more than ten years old, might make it a bit less desirable to thieves. Then again, I don’t know much about how thieves think, so I might not be at all accurate in my thinking.

A few of the stolen vehicles are stripped of parts that are easily sold. Expensive wheels and tires can be quickly turned to cash. Cars are stolen so that their catalytic converters can be taken. Still other cars are stolen to be used to make illegal drug deliveries. Thieves stealing from local stores often use stolen cars to make it more difficult for law enforcement to find them if the license plate of their stolen vehicle is spotted and reported.

One newspaper article about the rise in car thefts blames the booking restrictions in the Whatcom County Jail. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the jail has been forced to limit how many people are housed in the confined space. In addition to Covid-related issues, the jail has experienced facility issues, including elevator problems and staffing shortages. As a result the numbers of people housed at the jail have had to be reduced significantly. That means that people arrested for property crimes are either released shortly after arrest or in many cases not even booked into the jail. This keeps the jail population down, but it may allow repeat offenders to commit more crimes.

It isn’t just the jail. The court system is operating at a reduced pace and the backlog of cases continues to grow as the county court is working with Covid restrictions and a decreased capacity to move cases through the court system. That means that the consequences for stealing a vehicle often come months after the crime is reported. It may, however, eventually result in extended prison sentences for thieves who will face multiple charges and trials for multiple crimes.

Police are beginning to recognize a few key players in the car theft increase. There are individuals who seem to specialize in car theft. When those individuals receive prison sentences, car thefts go down.

Although I’ve spent some time in past years hanging out with law enforcement officials as a Sheriff’s chaplain, I have no particular insight into the increase in thefts. I suspect that part of the reason for the increase is increased desperation of those who are unable to earn their way in a place of high prices. The shortage of adequate housing has left many families with substandard housing. Many of those who have adequate housing are spending a disproportionate percentage of their income on housing, leaving less resources for other needs. Although car theft is not the answer to transportation problems, those who are desperate may fall victim to offers of short term profits or gains from a vehicle theft.

There are many theories about the theft of vehicles and I am sure that there is no one cause for the increase. That means that there is also no one solution to the problem. Some argue that increasing patrols, adding investigators, and tougher sentencing are required. If it were as simple as shifting resources, a quick result might be possible. The problems, however, are numerous and I doubt that these proposals are sufficient to create a rapid change in crime statistics.

I’ve thought about employing the strategy of keeping my car’s fuel tank near the empty mark. With gas prices above $4 per gallon, the value of my car can vary by nearly $60 depending on the amount of fuel in the tank. I doubt, however, that thieves check the fuel gage when making a quick getaway. With my pickup, I seem to have an alternate strategy. I’ve put a special seat cover on the back seat and installed a temporary pet barrier behind the front seat. That allows my sister’s dog to have the run of the back seat of the vehicle. I frequently take the dog to the farm where he is free to run and play. One of the things he loves to do at the farm is wade into the pond. Even if I towel him off before allowing him to load into the pickup, there is a fairly powerful wet dog smell when he is the back of the truck. I’m thinking that if a thief were to slide into the driver’s seat, the wet dog smell might make some other vehicle seem more attractive for theft.

If these strategies don’t work, I guess I could try simply being careful. I’m not sure that this statistic is still relevant, but a few years ago, when I lived in Rapid City, the majority of vehicle thefts in that city were vehicles that had had the keys left in the ignition. Removing the keys and locking the doors might at least slow down a criminal intent on stealing a vehicle. Now, if I could only determine who does leave the keys in their car and park next to their vehicle, I might have a good security system.