16 Cars Stolen In 48 Hours Across Pierce County: Puget Sound ATTF

TACOMA, WA — Sixteen vehicles were reported stolen in Pierce County over the past 48 hours, according to the Puget Sound Auto-Theft Task Force (ATTF). And while that figure is "higher than normal," it's "nothing drastic," ATTF officials said.

The thefts reportedly occurred in cities and towns across Pierce County, with 1990s model Honda Accords the hottest type of vehicle to steal.

ATTF officials told Patch that's likely because '90s Hondas are the "easiest vehicle to steal," noting they can be started using a variety of items that aren't necessarily keys.

"Kill switches are probably the best things to have installed on these," officials said. "For newer vehicles, don't leave your keys in the car."

Here's the list posted on Wednesday:

Whether walking away from an idling car while it warms up (which is really only necessary if your car was built with a carburetor) or flat out leaving the keys in an unlocked vehicle, there are a variety of obvious no-no explanations for how cars are stolen, officials explained.

Yet, aside from even the most obvious of owner errors that lead to car thefts, for some vehicle types there just really aren't many options to stop a determined thief, officials said.

"For Hondas, not a whole lot (will prevent theft)," officials said. "Alarm systems can help. And if the car is stolen, GPS tracking devices work, too — but GPS doesn't help prevent the theft; it only helps recover it."

Short of taking out your car battery when you're not using the vehicle, there are only a few other options for preventing car theft, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department:

• Lock your car
• Remove all keys
• Park in well-lit areas
• Park in attended lots
• Don’t leave your car running
• Close all windows
• Do not leave valuables in plain view
• Do not hide a spare key in the car
• If you have a garage, use it and lock up

(Sign up for our free daily newsletters and Breaking News Alerts for the University Place Patch)