Home burglaries down but car prowls up in city of Olympia

OLYMPIA -- Home burglaries are down in Olympia by almost 50% from the same time last year, but car prowls are up 13%, police crime statistics showed Friday.

If you are not a victim of a car prowl, you probably know someone in the state's capital who is.

Mariah Guilfoil-Dovel said thieves targeted her roommate twice.

“They didn’t steal her car but they broke into it and they took all her makeup and radio,” Guilfoil-Dovel said.

Police say thieves are breaking into fewer homes but breaking into more cars in Olympia.

“It’s always in the back of my mind when I am in this area especially,” Cody Churchill said.

Thieves are hitting cars in the downtown area, especially those parked on or near 4th and 5th avenues and Franklin Street.

“If at all possible, I like to park where I can see my car,” said Churchill.

But it’s impossible to keep an eye on your car all the time.

Police say the latest string of car break-ins happened late at night with the victims inside nearby bars. Some believe the rash of car prowls could deter people from coming downtown.

“I definitely think it can affect the local economy here. I don’t know if there is anything that can be done about it,” said Kabel Klaus said.

You can make your car less attractive to a thief by always hiding your belongings -- something many people don’t do.

For example, on Friday afternoon, Q13 FOX News counted countless cars parked downtown that had items left out in the open in plain sight.

In other crimes, the number of rapes and assaults are about the same this year compared to the same time last year.

Robbery is down, and the vast majority of those cases involve forceful shoplifting, police say.