West Seattle Crime Watch: Latest stolen car to watch for

The Seattle Police @getyourcarback Twitter feed doesn’t mention stolen-car locations, or else we’d just run that daily (you CAN find it on the Crime Watch page). But if you send us a message about your stolen car too (here’s how), we’ll publish its description so folks in this area can keep an eye out. Here’s a new one, from Shane:

Our car was stolen from the front of our house in Arbor Heights last night. Last seen locked and parked in front of our house at 11:30 PM on Wednesday, June 22nd. Please be on the lookout for a 1997 Silver Honda Civic LX, 4-door, license plate #436 VMY. There is a blue Hawaiian turtle sticker on the rear window & two car seats in the back seat.

A police report has been filed, but if you see it, please contact Greta at (206) 518-1201 or Shane (206) 518-1203.

(Here’s the SPD tweet about it.)

gettherollinstolens June 23, 2011 (1:03 pm)

They call them ‘rollin’ stolens’. It’s time for us all to step up and fight back. If any community can do it we can. Kick em out of West Seattle!! Good idea SPD w/the tweets.

mcbride June 23, 2011 (2:33 pm)

Another prevention method is to use a steering wheel lock device (aka “The Club”). Here’s why:
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Older vehicles (those that don’t have unique codes associated) use a limited key set. In some cases, an entire fleet of vehicles had only 20 key sets for the entire line, both door and ignition. Over years of use, the tumblers in both lock and ignition, as well as the teeth of the key get worn. The end result is, within a particular fleet of vehicles (e.g. ’90’s model Honda Civic’s), just a few keys from that line will open and start any number of cars (from that line).
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If someone is bound and determined to steal your ride, they will do so. But as far as visual deterrents to a crime of convenience goes, this $40 investment (http://www.amazon.com/Original-Club-Steering-Wheel-Lock/dp/B0000CBILL) will go a long way.
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Shane, sorry about your car (the above information is gained through personal experience, I absolutely empathize). I’ll keep a weather eye out.

hmmm June 23, 2011 (2:40 pm)

seems a lot of cars stolen from Arbor Heights lately. What’s up with that? People too ‘relaxed’? Not locking them, thinking they are safe?

WSB June 23, 2011 (2:49 pm)

Police often talk about opportunistic crimes vis a vis the getaway route. Junction bank robberies, proximity to bridge. Gotta wonder if AH to Roxbury to 509 comes into play. But also note that reports here do not represent ALL crimes committed – just what either is reported to us, or what we find out about via scanner, police sightings, reader tips, etc. I keep an eye on the city (time-lagged) police-response map and it’s all fairly spread out. The only other auto theft reported in the past 24 hours was on Holden, within a couple blocks of the police precinct!

Kate June 23, 2011 (3:22 pm)

We’ve had cars stolen out of our car port. Twice. Both times the car was locked. Both times the car was recovered – and the price to replace the busted-out lock is huge!

So now we leave the cars unlocked with nothing of value inside. This served us well when both cars were rifled through a couple of months ago. All they got was some car wash quarters but the cars themselves weren’t damaged.

If they want it, they’ll get it, locked or unlocked, “clubbed” or not clubbed.

And yes, we live in Arbor Heights. :)

Alki Observer June 23, 2011 (3:39 pm)

I hope they catch the low life, waste of skin that took your car guys. What a drag for your family to deal with! Hopefully, the perp’s Karmic payback will come swiftly and painfully. Best of luck finding your car soon and in good condition.

Bunnyfer June 23, 2011 (4:03 pm)

You know, my boyfriend said he thought someone might’ve tried to steal/break into his jeep Tues nite, because the weather stripping on his window was really loose. Also, it was parked on Roxbury between 35th and 36th – very dark and not well travelled.

Why can’t police use a bait car in some if these more “burglary-ridden” communities?

onceachef June 23, 2011 (5:19 pm)

Man, I feel sorry for anyone who owns a Honda Civic…seems to be THE car to steal these days….it’s all those owners of the little ‘toy cars’ as I call them…the ones with hyped muffler systems, etc…they must be collecting parts somewhere. If I owned one I’d want a pet cobra to stay inside :).

The comment about the keys above (some of them being common) is so true – I once got into a Honda Civic (mine, I thought) at a Mariner’s game (when the dome was still there) and looked around…I suddenly realized I was in the wrong car (the baby seats gave it away as I don’t have kids!). My car was 2 cars over from this one…yikes!

WSB June 23, 2011 (5:25 pm)

Been that way forever. At least as long as (nine years) I’ve owned one.

rw June 23, 2011 (5:39 pm)

Our 94 Accord was stolen from our driveway a few years ago. It was recovered, but since then we have followed the advice of the officer who took our crime report — use a Club. If you have an older Honda, you almost might as well leave the car unlocked with the keys in the ignition if you do not use a Club or similar device. I’m not suggesting that you or anyone else who is a victim of car theft is at fault. But these older cars are way too easy to steal and too popular with thieves and joyriding punks.

Tina June 23, 2011 (6:12 pm)

We had our 1991 Subaru Legacy stolen twice from in front of our home and yes it was locked, but as mcbride said these cars too had several in the same line with the same key for both lock and ignition so they too are/were easy to steal. After the second time I got a different car still a subaru. I now live far away form seattle and I do not have to worry about my car being stolen and I can even leave it unlocked. I rather be in Seattle though.

Paul June 23, 2011 (8:18 pm)

back in the day they would shoot you if you stole their horse..What do you get nowadays when you steal our modern horses?..Obviously not enough or this wouldn’t be such a huge problem..They probably got more people in jail for growing their own medicine than they do for car robbers…I blame the system, so sorry it is failing you

westseattledood June 23, 2011 (9:38 pm)

At the Highland Park Action Committee monthly meeting last night, the following special on The Club device was mentioned:

The Seattle Neighborhood Group is offering The Club vehicular theft protection device for a discount – $20 for regular, $25 for SUV’s. An extra $2 off if you order from their website:

http://www.sngi.org/products/club order

Maybe this will help somebody out there? Always a bummer when this happens to folks.

getaclubnow June 23, 2011 (9:59 pm)

My husband is an SPD officer – he says he has never taken a report on – or heard of – a clubbed car being stolen. They do work.

S June 23, 2011 (11:42 pm)

I concurr with McBride about The Club. If they want the car, they will figure out a way to get it, but the club will keep em busy a lot longer than they want to be. Whether they pick the lock on it, or cut through the steering wheel. And put it on your wheel with the lock facing the windshield…A police officer told me that trick. Harder for them to fiddle around with the lock if they can’t see what they are doing…..sorry about your car being stolen.Been there. I hope its found and in as near to the condition it was in when it was taken. Hate people that feel they need to take from others.

DBurns June 24, 2011 (12:24 am)

We just got a 95 Honda as a third car when my daughter got her license, and it came with The Club and a removable face stereo. I was a bit casual at first and then I found that one of the kids who works for me has a key that opens the door and starts the car! It’s clubbed every time, needless to say! The young kids actually get removable steering wheels!
Nothing is fool proof – thieves are such a bummer.

Andy Parypa June 24, 2011 (9:08 am)

My wife’s 91 Civic was stolen 2 weeks ago from in front of our house, and yes, it had a club attached to the steering wheel. Two days later we got a call from the police to let us know that it had been located in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Delridge Avenue. It had been stripped by the perps and then towed to a Lincoln Towing site. To add insult to injury, the bill from Lincoln Towing was $596.00, and our car was in their lot for only one day! I’m not sure who the worst crooks are _____ the punks who stole our car, or Lincoln Towing. The car was stripped and damaged to the point that we gave it to my nephew instead of spending the money to have it repaired. We would have had to pay for it ourselves since we only had liability insurance on it. Oh, I forgot to mention, when the car was recovered, the steering wheel, with the club still attached, was on the front seat.

civic owner June 24, 2011 (9:14 am)

DBurns – my coworker used to have the same year civic that I did and their key opened my door…totally random. our cars were from different states. weird.
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You can also get a lock for the break pedal. no one can drive a car away if they can’t use the break!

Sorry, comment time is over.