Sumner Police Giveaway Hopes To Curb Car Thefts

SUMNER, WA — To reduce the number of car thefts in Sumner, the Sumner Police Department is giving away steering wheel lock devices for free while supplies last. However, the giveaway applies only to Sumner residents and anyone who parks in Sumner to commute.

Update from Sumner Police, May 23:

The vehicle theft deterrent devices are going fast so we need to limit giving them only to vehicles on the NICB 2017 Top Ten Stolen list (only for Sumner Residents and commuters who park in Sumner, and people employed in Sumner).

Noting 68 auto thefts were reported out of Sumner in both 2017 and 2018, Sumner police officials said they want to see a decrease of 10 to 20 percent for 2019. To aid in that effort, the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority (WATPA) awarded Sumner police a general grant to purchase the anti-theft devices.

Throughout the year, police officials will provide the locking devices to victims of vehicle theft while also asking vehicle owners to avoid becoming victims by stopping by the department's front window during business hours to get their free anti-theft device.

The $2019 WATPA grant awarded to the department allowed Sumner police officials to purchase 100 anti-theft devices to fit a standard size vehicle's steering wheel, and 63 devices for larger, SUV-type vehicles.

The anti-theft device giveaway is particularly important for folks who own any of the following most commonly stolen vehicles in the U.S. (all of which reportedly appeared on the National Insurance Crime Bureau's 2017 Hot Wheels Report):

• Honda Civic
• Honda Accord
• Ford Pickup-Full Size
• Chevrolet Pickup-Full Size
• Toyota Camry
• Nissan Altima
• Toyota Corolla
• Dodge Pickup-Full Size
• GMC Pickup-Full Size
• Chevrolet Impala

According to Police Support Services Manager Mark Creley, the vehicles most commonly stolen in Sumner falls in line with national statistics.

Over the past year in Sumner, the top five most commonly stolen cars were various models of Ford pickups (17), Honda Civics and Accords (10), a variety of Chevrolets (7), and four models each of Jeep Grand Cherokees, and various Toyotas and Nissans, Creley said.