Last in a series
Those who park their cars around Kitsap Mall or in Bremerton while going to work are the motorists in the county who mostly like to undergo the dreaded experience of returning where they left their vehicle only to find it gone.
On top of that, owners of certain Ford trucks and Hondas also have a greater chance of becoming a deflated victim of car theft.
That’s the word from the Bremerton Police Department’s Sgt. Jason Vertefeuille, the county’s Sherlock Holmes who battles the scrouge of motor vehicle thefts.
“During the day, the commercial corridor in Silverdale around the mall and downtown Bremerton parking garages are among the most popular areas in the county for car thefts,” Vertefeuille said. “At nighttime, the worst areas are apartment complex parking lots. It seems that Silverdale and Port Orchard got hit particularly hard in their apartment complex parking lots.”
Shopping centers and apartment parking lots are attractive to those who steal cars because of the volume of vehicles there, he added. “It’s the difference from going to some boutique store or Costco – where you’re going to get the biggest bang for your buck time.”
Bremerton parking garages are frequently hit because many people leave their vehicles there while working at the shipyard or taking the ferry to Seattle. “They park their cars there from 6 a.m. until 5 or 6 at night. They are going to be unattended for a long period of time,” he said.
Certain cars are popular with Kitsap County car thieves.
“The top two are Honda passenger cars – Civics and Accords – and Ford pickup trucks, especially the three-quarter- and full-ton pickup trucks,” Vertefeuille said.
The older model Hondas and Fords have fewer security features which makes them susceptible, he explained. “I’ve watched videos where people are taking these vehicles. It’s thirty seconds from the time they get to the driver door to the time the car leaves the lot,” the Bremerton cop said.
Imports such as Toyota, Nissan, Subaru and Kia are the next most likely targets, he added.
Tips to avoid thefts
Vertefeuille had advice on ways to reduce the chances of becoming a victim.
“This time of year, probably the number one thing is not to leave your car running unattended. That happens when people are warming up their cars and run back into the house or apartment,” he said. Likewise, when someone leaves their car running while running in to buy a coffee. “They think, ‘I’m just running in really quick.’ We saw this a lot of that last winter, and we’re starting to see it again this winter.”
To reduce vehicle thefts at home, Vertefeuille suggests installing a video camera. “If you have the ability to set up a good camera system that looks over your car. Or, maybe something that kicks off a motion-sensor light that shows that the person is being recorded—that could be helpful.”
A car alarm can also be beneficial. “It can draw attention, especially at night.” Such systems, however, are less effective during the day as people tend to ignore them since many inadvertently go off, he noted.
Placing an air tag on the car that allows it to be tracked on GPS can aid authorities if the vehicle is stolen. “Having some type of tracker on the car, like a tile or an air tag, is helpful. The drawback is that thieves can usually scan for those. If they are discovered, they will be discarded.” In addition, the signal from tracking devices can be intermittent and is not always reliable.
A more labor-intensive yet effective suggestion is if a car is going to be parked for a long time, say during an extended vacation, the owner could remove the battery.
Other devices, like The Club, a steering wheel lock often seen on TV, apparently is not a big deterrent. “If I’m being honest, a lot of the cars that were stolen had Clubs in them. The people that do this seem to know how to defeat them.”
With any tips he offered, Vertefeuille admitted: “There are drawbacks to all of these. You know, there’s no good foolproof thing.”