[quote style=”2″]60 Percent of Stolen Vehicles Had Keys Left Inside[/quote]
Analysis presented to Hermiston’s Public Safety Committee Tuesday night by Hermiston Police Chief Jason Edmiston shows that an overwhelming number of vehicles stolen in Hermiston last year had the doors unlocked and the keys left in the ignition.
Edmiston presented the analysis at the request of Hermiston City Councilor John Kirwan who, along with Councilors Rod Hardin and George Anderson, is a member of the city’s Public Safety Committee.
The police department’s analysis shows that of the 72 vehicles reported stolen in 2013, 64 percent were unlocked and 60 percent had the keys left inside. Of those stolen, 14 percent were left unattended while the vehicle was warming up.
On the bright side, 93 percent of the vehicles were recovered. Edmiston told the committee that 35 people were arrested over the course of the year, equating to a clearance rate of 40 percent, significantly higher than the national average of 11.8 percent.
The police chief said this is one crime that citizens can play a large role in reducing the number of incidents by simply taking their keys out of their vehicle and locking the doors.
“This analysis confirms what we know and what we have been pleading with our citizenry to combat,” he said. “The majority of the stolen vehicles were crimes of opportunity. The criminals in our area are not smart, they are solely playing the odds that 64 percent of the time the vehicle was unlocked and 60 percent of the time the keys were left inside.”
More Stories From Northeast Oregon Now:
Juvenile Crime Numbers Plummeting in Hermiston
From Murder Suspect to Free Man in 2 Short Weeks
Umatilla to Clean Up Last Year’s Fire Damage
