Vehicle theft in King County in 2007 is down by 36 percent from an eight-year high in 2005, and law enforcement agencies are projecting a 55 percent decrease in 2008. In the same period auto thefts in the North Precinct, which includes Ballard, have dropped from 3,591 to 2,320.

King County Prosecuting Attorney Daniel Satterberg met with the Crown Hill Business Association Nov. 19 to discuss how the county has been able to decrease the number of auto thefts in recent years and how citizens can protect their own vehicles.

But recent budget cuts across the criminal justice system made necessary by a projected state budget shortfall could force the King County prosecutor's office and other law enforcement agencies to turn their focus to other crimes.

Satterberg said car theft was undervalued by law enforcement for a long time because it was the lowest level felony. It took seven convictions to earn an offender time in prison. Satterberg said this caused police departments to be more relaxed in their dealings with car theft.

In 2005 after tougher sentencing was turned down by the state legislature, then-Prosecuting Attorney Norm Maleng created an auto theft unit to coordinate information among law enforcement agencies and crack down on vehicle thefts. The new unit led to more efficient car theft enforcement and prosecution.

The next step was convincing the Legislature to pass the Car Theft Initiative in 2007. Now after the third conviction for vehicle theft an offender can be subjected to 17 to 22 months in prison and 43 to 57 months after the fourth conviction.

Satterberg said increasing the penalties for auto thefts has had a depressing effect on other crime. A decrease in vehicle thefts is leading a decrease in other crime because car thieves often have other criminal histories, he said.

In the coming years car theft enforcement, which Satterberg said is one of the few bright spots coming out of the criminal justice system right now, will have to compete with more violent crimes during the current budget crunch.

He said the county is dealing with record numbers of homicides and not everything can be a priority.

The new auto theft laws are helping the county slightly though. Offenders now only sit in county jail for the first two convictions, after that they become the financial burden of the state prison system, Satterberg said.

Michael Harthorne may be reached at 783.1244 or michaelh@robinsonnews.com