On the recordFebruary 25, 2010
Today I rise to recognize the Snohomish County Auto Theft Task Force for its success in combating vehicle theft in my district. Recently, the task force was recognized as the top auto theft recovery team in Washington State by the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority. While vehicle thefts across the State decreased 20 percent in 2009, Snohomish County led the way with a remarkable 29 percent decline. The Snohomish County Auto Theft Task Force is an example of law enforcement agencies working together to make a difference in our community. The Snohomish team is made up of detectives from the Monroe, Marysville, and Lynnwood police departments; the Washington State Patrol; the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, the Snohomish County Prosecutor's Office, and, most recently, the Tulalip Tribes. Through this partnership, the task force disrupted the operation of 26 chop shops and theft rings over the past year alone--tracking down stolen vehicles, arresting those responsible, and helping make sure the bad guys were convicted. Since forming in 2008, the Snohomish County team has convicted over 100 people and recovered 82 vehicles with an estimated value of $1.5 million along with $337,400 worth of stolen property. At a time when budgets are stretched thin, we should not forget the needs of law enforcement or of the work of our prosecutor's office in making sure these folks are behind bars.
