Coeur d'Alene police driving vehicle thefts down

A stolen vehicle in Coeur d'Alene is becoming a rare thing.

Last year, only 20 vehicles were stolen in the Lake City, and only 31 in 2023. So far this year, just 13 vehicles have been stolen, a shade over one a month.

That's well done from 137 in 2014, 95 in 2015 and 94 in 2014.

So, where are all the car thieves?

Police Capt. Dave Hagar said there are a few reasons rigs are safer in Coeur d'Alene, starting with strong community ties

"The vigilant members of Cd'A will call us when they see something suspicious, which helps us respond to crimes or criminal activity in a timely manner," he said.

Hagar also credited proactive officers.

"When not on calls for service, the mission for our officers is to look for criminals and put felons in jail," he said.

And Hagar said people are doing better at locking their cars. He said it wasn't that unusual before for residents to not bother to roll up car windows, leave valuables on seats and some even left keys in the ignition.

"We have historically seen that 85% of vehicle burglaries occur with unsecured and unlocked vehicles with valuables left in the open," Hagar said. "When people roll up their windows, lock their doors and keep valuables out of sight, they reduce their odds of being a victim of a vehicle burglary greatly."

According to new research by Compare the Market, Idaho has the fourth-lowest car theft rate in America. It found that statewide, the theft rate per 100,000 people was 91 vehicles and total thefts were 1,766, which comes out to about five per day.

In comparison, Coeur d'Alene's auto theft rate was 35.7 last year, much lower than the state average.

The report said more than a million cars are stolen across the U.S. every year.

"The data highlights that some states consistently report far lower theft rates, offering motorists peace of mind compared to hotspots like Colorado or California, where thousands of cars disappear each month," it said.

The three most stolen cars nationally are the Hyundai Elantra, the Hyundai Sonata and the Kia Optima.

New Hampshire had the lowest rate of vehicle thefts at 54 per 100,000 people.

Reports from the National Insurance Crime Bureau show that vehicle thefts decreased from their recent historic peak of more than 1 million thefts in 2023.

Last year, 850,708 vehicles were stolen nationwide. NICB noted that since 2020, vehicle thefts have surged before falling to pre-pandemic levels last year. 

Thefts nationwide decreased 17% from 2023 to 2024, finally dropping below the 1 million mark for the first time since 2021. 

This drop in reported vehicle thefts marks the biggest decrease in auto thefts in the last 40 years.

Last year, Post Falls Police Department reported 22 stolen vehicles, three of which were taken by individuals known to the victim.*

From Jan. 1 to Sept. 8 of this year, Post Falls Police received seven confirmed stolen vehicles reports, two of which were taken by individuals known to the victim.

“Auto thefts have been and continue to be an issue in the Inland Northwest,” Police Capt. Mark Brantl said.

*This story has been updated because Post Falls Police later updated their reporting based on confirmed car thefts rather than all potential auto theft calls they had received.