JBLM Asks Public To Help Report Abandoned Vehicles

LAKEWOOD, WA — Joint Base Lewis-McChord is pushing back against abandoned vehicles left on or near the base.

According to JBLM officials, more than 500 cars, trucks, boats, bicycles and RVs have been ditched across the base this year alone. Removing the vehicles can cost thousands of dollars, and is a hassle base employees are getting tired of dealing with.

To cut down on the number of abandoned cars, the JBLM Provost Marshal has launched a new "Abandoned Vehicle Initiative", which gives the public new tools to report and track abandoned cars.

“Since service members are no longer required to register their vehicles on the base, we are finding that more and more vehicles are being abandoned,” said Master Sgt. Ryan Baird, with the JBLM Provost Marshal office. “Unfortunately, it is more convenient for them to abandon a vehicle than to pay high shipping costs or go through the hassle of trying to sell it."

Through the program, base residents can call the Abandoned Vehicle office at 253-966-6970 to report an abandoned car, or Lincoln Military Housing at 253-912-3485 if the car is in the base's housing area. But they can also use a new, specialized QR code which, once scanned by a user's phone, will take them to an online form where they can describe the vehicle's make and model.

That form then goes to the provost marshall who will send an investigative team to make sure the vehicle is abandoned. If it is, they'll then tow it off base and try to sell or otherwise dispose of the vehicle.

The abandoned car problem is so severe, that the JBLM Morale, Welfare and Recreation team is planning on buying their own tow truck to save money on vehicle towing. The base is also hopeful the plan to resell vehicles will be useful funding other programs for JBLM service members and their families.

"JBLM MWR is in the beginning planning phases for this program, but excited to partner with (the Provost Marshal) to help the JBLM community,” said Josh Soldan, Business and Recreation Division chief, for JBLM MWR. “We believe this will be a great program to, not only move abandoned vehicles off JBLM, but to also auction them off to community members that may be in need of a low-cost vehicle option.”