Vehicle theft is one problem that just won't go away in the city of Yakima and every winter the theft rates shoot up dramatically because of what police call warm up auto thefts. In 2017, authorities report 517 vehicles were stolen in the city of Yakima. Police say many were taken while they're warming up in the driveway. Police spokesman Mike Bastinelli says if you leave your car running in the street or driveway to warm up you're just risking getting your car stolen.

He says if you need to warm up your car get an extra set of keys and lock the doors. Police say it is legal to warm up your unlocked vehicle on your private property.
The numbers are going down. in 2014 737 vehicles were stolen, in 2015 the number dropped to 700. in 2016 654 vehicle were stolen and in 2017 the number stands at 517.

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