Spokane Police are reporting a recent surge in vehicle thefts that borders outside of their average range for this time of year. The typical average for the week of January 8th through 14th comes out to about 37 vehicle thefts, but this year, their strategic analysis has counted 48 incidents of vehicle thefts.

“My guess is that certain people got out of jail,” Carly Cortright, strategic analyst, said. She continued, “Vehicle theft is not bonded very high. After we arrest them, they’re able to post bond and then start stealing vehicles again.”

To prevent vehicle thefts during the winter months, Spokane Police recommend not leaving your car running to warm up while unattended. 

Spokane Police will be discussing the vehicle theft increase during their operational meeting on Tuesday. These meetings cover officer reports and eventually formulate into AIM reports. Patrol goals are also created from the meetings. 

During the most recent AIM report for the week of December 25th and 31st, officers responded to 42 vehicle thefts. These reports come out about two weeks after the fact. Here’s a selection of vehicle theft and prowling related officer incidents from that time frame.

Each month, Dollar Per Month selects three charities for you to vote on. Dollar Per Month posts information about the charities to help you evaluate each and make your decision. I talked with one of its founders Jason Clerget who told me what the charity is trying to accomplish.

Why did you decide to start DPM?

The story of how www.DollarPerMonth.org (DPM) was created is a long one. The short version is that Doug and I wanted to create a fun community based platform that removed all the barriers to being philanthropic. There are several factors that stand in the way of the average person giving back. With 1.4 million charities when someone wants to donate who should they donate to? Will the money they donate go to the actual cause or towards unnecessary overhead? Will the amount that they have to give really make a difference? Doug and I had faced these issues in our own lives and felt there was a way to make things more efficient and fun. Once we had a system in place we felt that others would benefit from our research and the tools we used.

(Updated 11:32 p.m.) - Spokane Police are investigating a possible assault that happened along Grand Blvd. and 38th just before 9 p.m. on Sunday.

The male victim, a minor, was originally found in the street and neighbors thought he had been hit by a car. As details were gathered from multiple witness statements, Spokane Police now say it was an assault.

The victim was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital. His injuries are unknown at this time. Police say he had a blood alcohol content of 0.25.

The vehicle activity from medical response and police did block Grand Blvd. from 37th to 38th while the investigation was in process. The road re-opened to vehicle traffic around 9:15 p.m.