Spokane’s auto theft rate fourth-highest in U.S.

For the second year in a row, Spokane had the fourth-highest auto theft rate in the nation, according to an insurance industry group. Spokane’s auto-theft rate was again highest in the state, the same study said. The NW Insurance Council measures thefts per 100,000 inhabitants. Spokane’s theft rate last year was 551.75, which is a decline from a rate of about 586 the previous year. That rate applies to the metropolitan area, which includes Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake. Yakima had the second-highest auto theft rate, at 529.25, while the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area ranked third, at 445.83. Bellingham had the lowest auto theft rate among the Washington cities listed, at 119.31, the study found. The FBI says vehicle theft is the nation’s No. 1 property crime, according to a news release about the study, which was conducted by the National Insurance Crime Bureau.