Weak laws in WA State

Here is a story just released today. I've bolded some interesting lines:



"OLYMPIA, Wash. - A new law named for a Seattle Police officer killed when she was hit by a stolen car is about to make it tougher for car thieves to keep getting away with it.



Governor Christine Gregoire signed the Elizabeth Nowak Auto Theft Prevention Law on Friday. Nowak was killed in a traffic accident when a 20-time car thief hit her in an intersection last November.



Under the new law, that thief would have already been in prison.



Before this law, a car thief had to be convicted seven times to go to prison. That's now lowered to three convictions.



Juvenile car thieves will also be sentenced to a minimum five days house arrest.



The bill also creates an auto theft prevention authority, designed to increase public awareness and provide law enforcement with LoJack tracking systems and so-called bait cars that police can use to lure car thieves.



Police say many of the thieves are professionals. They chop up cars and sell them. Sometimes they hope from one stolen car to the next just for transportation.



According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the Seattle-Tacoma region ranked sixth in the nation last year in auto theft rates – The state legislature says one car is stolen every 11 minutes.



The most stolen vehicle in Washington last year was the 1991 Honda Accord. "



Are you kidding me?? A juvie car thief gets a couple days house arrest? That's considered punishment? You had to get caught stealing cars seven times to spend any time in prison?? With laws like this, no wonder Washington state's crime rate is skyrocketing. People aren't afraid to get caught, because they know that nothing is really going to happen to them. WA attempted to make a law that a person's third DUI would be felony, but lawmakers thought that was too tough and made it seven. Sheesh.