Hoquiam Police to use new funding for auto theft preventon and recovry

The Hoquiam Police Department received $25,000 from the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority (WATPA) to combat and prevent motor vehicle theft and other related crimes.

According to the department, these funds will ultimately help victims of auto theft. 

They say that this means the department can devote additional resources to driving down auto theft in the community. 

They tell KXRO that they plan to invest in new technology that will allow them to recover stolen vehicles more safely and apprehend those responsible for the theft. 

Funds for the grants come from the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Account, approved by the Washington Legislature for the purpose of establishing, maintaining, and supporting programs designed to prevent motor vehicle theft and other related crimes. 

The grants in 2024 amount to more than $2.7 million to 41 local police and sheriff’s departments statewide.

The funding is intended to support auto theft task forces and prosecutors in areas plagued by auto theft.

The authority also funds training for officers and detectives who work on auto theft cases and equipment that makes communities safer. 

WATPA is managed in partnership with the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC).

The Hoquiam Police Department is doing a great job combatting auto thefts,” said Steven Strachan, WASPC executive director. “The grant funds will help them do even more to prevent these crimes as well as educate the public on how to prevent them.” In a five-week period, the Hoquiam Police Department recovered six occupied stolen vehicles, four of which were stolen outside of Grays Harbor County. 

Officials say that there were more than 40,000 auto thefts in 2023 but that number of thefts is slowly trending downward in 2024.

For more information on the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority, see https://waautotheftpreventionauthority.org.