The Puget Sound region has had a serious problem with car
theft for many years. The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office has teamed up with
the Marysville Police Department, Washington State Patrol and the Snohomish
County Prosecutor’s Office in the form of the Snohomish County Auto Theft Task
Force (SNOCAT). SNOCAT reduces vehicle theft in Snohomish County through
pro-active enforcement, apprehension of car thieves, and education of the
public about auto theft.
Recently, the Sheriff’s Office posted a summary of SNOCAT’s
activities during 2017 on Facebook. Here is what SNOCAT did last year:
“In 2017, SNOCAT had 287 cases opened and closed 233 cases.
The team recovered a total of 198 stolen vehicles worth over $1.8M in value and
recovered 18 pieces of heavy equipment worth over $179K. The Snohomish County
Prosecutor’s Office filed 141 SNOCAT vehicle theft cases in 2017 and received
140 vehicle theft convictions.
During one of their investigations, a detective located an
Improvised Explosive Device inside the glove box of a stolen car (pictured
below). Bomb techs evaluated the IED and found it had a commercial grade fuse,
contained smokeless powder, 66 screws and was capable of causing a large
explosion. Also, inside the vehicle, detectives located a Taurus 9mm handgun, a
stolen 30.06 scoped rifle and a .357 revolver that were all loaded. The vehicle
also contained a rifle bayonet, methamphetamine, suboxone, tramadol, drug
paraphernalia, and several shaved keys.
The suspect was later interviewed, booked into jail and
eventually posted bail. While out on bail, the suspect committed two other
vehicle thefts before he was finally held. SNOCAT conducted thorough follow-up
investigations and ensured each case was solid. When faced with the evidence
against him, the suspect plead guilty and was sentenced to 84 months in prison.”
This issue of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office’s crime
prevention newsletter gives advice on how you can prevent your vehicle from being
stolen,
Partners in Crime Prevention:
SNOCAT:
Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:
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