New Program To Reduce Car Thefts In Yakima

Yakima Police are starting a program next month they hope will help reduce the number of auto thefts in the city.

Spokesman Mike Bastinelli says it's called Watch Your Car and it starts on March 1.

"Car owners in the program in the city will be able to go online at yakimapolice.org and they can sign up for the program and we'll send them a couple of stickers. And then they put them on the vehicle window," Bastinelli explains.

If an officer sees your vehicle with that special sticker on the road between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. police will follow the vehicle and have dispatch contact the registered owner to see if the car should be on the road then. If not, the officer could then stop the vehicle.

You can sign up online at yakimapolice.org or in person at the Yakima Police Department. The program is free. The program was first used by the department in the year 2000.