By Dennis Box

The Courier-Herald

Bonney Lake undercover detectives have been using old-fashioned gumshoe techniques to catch car thieves.

The percentage of cars stolen in late August and September suddenly jumped and has been noticed by surrounding communities, according to Bonney Lake officers.

In August, 10 vehicles were stolen this year, compared to nine last year, and 15 in September of this year to 10 in September 2004.

The reasons are as mundane and insidious as a jail sentence.

&#8221It depends on who is out of jail,“ said the lead undercover officers on the case who asked not to be identified. &#8221It's all drug related. We've rounded up some of them. We are working very hard on this.“

The two detectives leading the charge to catch the thieves reported this crime wave is directly related to methamphetamine.

&#8221Meth is directly connected to car theft, burglary, identity theft, forgery,“ the second officer said. &#8221This is not a victimless crime.“

Police Chief Buster McGehee calls meth a social plague.

&#8221We've been able to analyze the data and connect some dots,“ McGehee said. &#8221It's a regional problem. University Place and Auburn have both seen a 70 percent jump in car thefts.“

Enumclaw Police Department Commander Eric Sortland said his department has also seen a marked jump in September and August, losing 11 cars to thieves.

&#8221Regionally auto theft has been climbing from year to year,“ Sortland said. &#8221The guys that are doing it are weighing the risk of getting caught and the consequences are less than the benefits to them.“

McGehee echoed Sortland's concern that once the thieves are caught the penalties are not deterring them from repeating.

&#8221These are drug crimes,“ McGehee said. &#8221They steal a stereo or go joy riding from one spot to another because they need meth.“

The undercover officers believe the thefts are part of a loosely connected regional ring of criminals.

&#8221Originally we thought it was a local group,“ the lead officer said. &#8221But we saw something bigger was going on. It's organized, but not like a chop shop. Some work in pairs and some alone. It's 100 percent opportunity vehicles. We made numerous arrest and gathered information and we're meeting with other agencies“

Officers report an experienced car thief can enter a car and have it rolling in as little as 30 seconds.

Thieves will strip anything of value for quick cash and then abandon it.

McGehee said a stereo could bring $20 to $40, enough for about a one-day fix of meth.

Todd Franz of Bonney Lake had his 1986 Chevrolet Scottsdale pickup stolen Sept. 19 from the Park-and-Ride at 184th Avenue East and state Route 410 East near the Chevron station.

Franz, a Boeing employee, said he was working at the Puyallup Fair during the recent strike and had ridden to work with a friend, parking his truck in the lot.

&#8221We pulled into the lot after work and I looked around and said, ‘oh-oh', Franz said. &#8221It was taken sometime between 7 (a.m.) and noon. It's hard to believe because there is so much traffic around there.“

The vehicle was recovered 12 days later by the Tacoma Police Department.

&#8221They took the engine, transmission, radiator and battery,“ Franz said. &#8221I had just spent $1,000 on the wheels and tires and they took those. They cleaned it to a skeleton. There was nothing special about it, but it was paid for. It’s been a lot of hassle.

Franz said he was fortunate his insurance paid towing and impound fees, which can add up to hundreds of dollars very quickly for the victims of this crime.

The LoJack tracking system can be effective, if installed. While the Bonney Lake Police Department has LoJack tracking capabilities, McGehee said none of the vehicles taken had the system installed.

Sortland said people need to use common sense techniques to protect themselves.

&#8221Lock up your car, don't put anything of value in plain sight,“ Sortland said. &#8221Park in a garage if you can, or close to your house. As cold weather comes, people should not warm their cars up and leave them running. These guys walk the neighborhoods looking for that.“

The Bonney Lake officers said The Club, a steering wheel locking device, is an effective deterrent.

&#8221Prevention is the key,“ the lead officer said. &#8221And being a good neighbor. A lot of these cars are taken out of parking lots. We are taking a very proactive approach and adding tools to our arsenal. But, big picture in this problem is meth. That's what's driving this.“

Any car is susceptible to theft, but Hondas, Toyotas, Ford and Chevrolet pickups are high on the list.

Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@courierherald.com.