St. Pete Police Report Dramatic Decrease In Car Thefts

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway attributes a nearly 11 percent drop in car thefts to a more alert and educated community and a more cooperative law enforcement approach.

The city’s annual crime report showed a significant decrease in auto thefts in 2017. Auto thefts in St. Petersburg were down 10.7 percent compared to 2016 and they’ve dropped 36 percent over 2015.

"These numbers are encouraging,” Holloway said. “They show that our efforts, and the cooperative efforts of our citizens, are paying off.”

Holloway believes the decrease is the result of his department’s multi-pronged approached to the problem. These include:

• Collaboration with the Pinellas Sheriff's Office, other law enforcement organizations, the State Attorney and judges.
• The implementation of HOME -- Habitual Offender Monitoring Enforcement – in which officers are assigned full time to do regular home checks on juvenile offenders on home detention.
• A focus on tracking youth gang members and their activities.
• Merging the auto theft unit with the burglary unit. Auto burglaries often turn into car thefts when the keys are left in the car, Holloway said. By merging the units, detectives can share information on suspects and solve more cases.
• Giving residents weekly reminders on social media to lock their cars and remove valuables.

“The St. Petersburg Police Department, along with our partner agencies, will continue to monitor the effectiveness of our current practices,” Holloway said. “Should any shift in this data occur, we will adjust our efforts accordingly.”

Image via St. Petersburg Police