SPD reminding the public not to leave your vehicle running

The Spokane Police Department is reminding the community it is not only unsafe, but illegal to leave your vehicle running on the street or in other public places. Two vehicles have already been stolen this month after they were left running with the keys i

Sgt. Teresa Fuller Traffic Unit

Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 1:28 p.m.

Spokane Police have already had two reports of cars stolen while warming since the beginning of November, so with the colder weather here, we wanted to remind people not to walk away from your vehicle while it's warming up. Leaving your keys in your car and leaving it running is an open invitation to car thieves and increases the chance of your vehicle being stolen.

It's not only unwise, it's illegal on streets and other public spaces. Always lock your doors, remove your keys from the ignition or console, don't hide a second set of keys in or on your car, close your windows completely, don't leave valuables in your car in plain view, and park in well-lit areas.

Other precautions you can take to avoid being the victim of a car theft include; use of a visible or audible device such as brake and wheel locks, install a vehicle immobilizer like a kill switch, and invest in a tracking system. Tracking devices are very effective in helping law enforcement recover stolen vehicles. Some systems combine GPS and wireless technologies to allow remote monitoring of a vehicle. If the vehicle is moved, the system will alert the owner and the vehicle can be tracked via computer. Most newer vehicles have this capability, however, if the car/truck is not registered by the owner it's extremely difficult for law enforcement to activate the system.

The most stolen cars in Washington state include 1999 Ford Pick-Up (full size), 1998 Honda Civic, 1997 Honda Accord, 1999 Chevrolet Pick-Up (full size), 2000 Honda CR-V, 1999 Toyota Camry, 1998 Subaru Legacy, 2001 Dodge Pick-Up (full size), 1999 Toyota Corolla, 1998 Ford Pick-Up (small size). The 2023 National Insurance Crime Bureau ranking of states ranked Washington as the 3^rd highest in the nation for vehicle theft at over 603 vehicles stolen per 100,000 residents.

If citizens do their part in taking steps to thwart vehicle theft, together we can positively impact crime numbers.

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