An increase in property theft in both unincorporated Jefferson County and Port Townsend has law enforcement officials looking to residents for preventive measures to stem the trend.
A preliminary crime rate report released last week shows that Jefferson County felony property crimes — those with losses of more than $250 –are up 27 percent this year from last, with 229 reported in 2004 and 292 in 2005.
Port Townsend’s property crimes have risen from 215 reported cases in 2004 to 294 in 2005, a 36 percent increase.
Property crimes include burglary, larceny, arson and motor vehicle theft.
‘Crimes of opportunity’
Port Townsend Police Chief Conner Daily said many property crimes are merely “crimes of opportunity.”
If the opportunity was not there — an unlocked car door, for instance — the crime probably would not occur.
“I don’t see any cause for concern with these increases, but people need to lock their car doors and lock their homes,” Daily said.
The holiday season serves as an especially high risk time for property crime, he said, because people often leave gift packages in their cars in view of passers-by while driving from store to store.
He said the best thing anyone can do is make sure all valuables are covered with a blanket or sheet if they are left in the car.
Crime and unemployment
Jefferson County Undersheriff Tim Perry draws a parallel between the property crimes increase and unemployment.
“When you have people without jobs and people with jobs, the ones without will prey on the ones who have them,” said Perry.
“We need to get a larger tax base and more businesses in here because we need more jobs.”
He said too often methamphetamine is pinpointed as the cause of property crimes, but that could be a superficial cause.
There are many factors involved in the rising rate of property crimes, he said, and they are mainly economic.
But Perry agrees with Daily that residents must make it their responsibility to secure their property.
“With good crime prevention techniques, theft can go down a lot,” the undersheriff said.
