Property Crime Stats & Tips

When Detective Akimoto traveled to Tukwila from the warm shores and exotic land of Maui where he was a Police Officer, he never imagined that he would soon become….our Property Crimes Detective. Working catalytic thefts, auto thefts, burglaries, purse snatchings and the like, Detective Akimoto has become a one-man detective powerhouse juggling a huge case load while also assisting other detectives with their cases.

Some crime stats from Detective Akimoto and the Major Crimes Unit (MCU)…

2020 Tukwila Stats
545 reported auto thefts
926 reported thefts from vehicles

2021 Tukwila Stats to Date
172 reported auto thefts
360 reported thefts from vehicles

Help us to reduce these numbers. Do NOT leave your vehicle running and unattended. We see a large increase in auto thefts of opportunity when vehicles are left running unattended both in the colder months and for contracted delivery drivers who leave them running unattended while making deliveries.

Do NOT leave valuables in your vehicle or anything of value in plain sight. Also do NOT leave bags, purses or anything else in plain sight. Even if it is a diaper bag with a well-soiled diaper inside of it that you didn’t have time to throw away. Car thieves see a bag and go for it without knowing the contents of it.

It is all a numbers game. Grab enough bags and items in plain sight and they are bound to find something of value. The vast majority of vehicle prowls we respond to are from victims that had left a bag or something of potential value in plain sight. While there are exceptions to this, removing the potential payoff for car thieves will oftentimes save you from losing your belongings and having to replace a vehicle window.