TACOMA, Wash. — As we head into another busy holiday shopping weekend, KIRO 7's Jeff Dubois looked up the crime stats for car prowls and stolen vehicles at four of the biggest malls in the Puget Sound area.
In Tacoma, police say they've seen an increase this year in car thefts break-ins, and during the holidays, there's often a rise in such crimes of opportunity.
Since Nov. 7, there have been eight cars have been broken into and two cars stolen while parked at the Tacoma Mall.
During that same time frame, Bellevue Square had the fewest incidents. Three cars were broken into and no cars were stolen.
At the Northgate Mall, three cars were broken into and 12 cars were stolen, with 7 of the car thefts in the last three days.
In the last 35 days at Southcenter Mall, there were 24 car prowls and eight car thefts, including cars parked in the open lot and in the parking garage.
Crime reports show there were as many crimes in the day as in the evening.
A few weeks ago, Bellevue police showed KIRO 7 how quickly thieves can strike in what are known as smash and grab thefts. A thief can smash in a car window and steal items in less than 10 seconds.
The age-old suggestion from police remains -- the best way to keep from becoming a victim is to not leave items in plain view, because those are the cars that thieves are targeting.
The malls provided the following statements below:
From Bellevue Square:
At Bellevue Square during the noted period, we parked over 580,000 cars. Of that number, less than a handful had incidents, but even the rare occurrence is unacceptable to us.
We understand the importance of keeping cars safe and have an outstanding record in this area compared to street parking or surrounding areas. Even though the number of incidences is extremely low, we take each one seriously and work closely with the Bellevue Police Department.
We always highly recommend that customers continue to be aware that incidences can happen and help avoid temptation by hiding valuables or not leaving them in their cars.
From Northgate and Tacoma malls:
At Northgate Mall and Tacoma Mall the safety and well-being of our shoppers, retailers and employees is our top priority. Many of our security measures are visible to the public, including a robust security force, continuous patrol routes on property and the deployment of law enforcement personnel. Other security measures are not visible to our shoppers and not disclosed to avoid compromising our efforts. All of our efforts are closely coordinated with local law enforcement agencies.
There are a few tips shoppers should remember during the holiday season, no matter where they are. Make sure vehicles are locked. Place packages in the trunks of vehicles, so they are not visible. Move or change parking spaces if the length of your stay is several hours.
From Tukwila police on behalf of Westfield Southcenter Mall:
Now firmly in the holiday season, the Tukwila Police Department would like to remind shoppers that the increase in shopping activity also brings with it an increase in the risk of vehicle prowls. Although, nothing guarantees the safety of your vehicle or your possessions inside, there are steps that you can take to reduce your chances of being targeted by a car prowler.
- Park in well-lit and high pedestrian traffic areas
- Lock your vehicle
- All items should be stored out of sight
- Simply throwing a blanket over items is not enough.
- The trunk is the best place to store items
- Car prowlers will watch shoppers go to their cars to drop off items. If you must store purchases in your car and are not then immediately leaving, it is recommended that you move your car to another area before resuming shopping.
Finally, help other shoppers out. If you see a person acting suspicious, potentially involved in vehicle prowling, call the police.