Morning Press: Vehicle theft; downtown parking; special election results

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Here are some of the stories that were most popular this week with Columbian readers.

Law enforcement sounds alarm about record-high vehicle theft in Clark County

Jake Beals spent his Monday morning towing a Yahama Vino 125 scooter that was reported stolen out of Chehalis. It was the first call of the day at Triple J Towing’s Vancouver location, but there were sure to be more.

In April, Triple J Towing impounded 47 stolen vehicles at its three Clark County lots. Beals said that’s about double the calls compared with this time last year, and he knows other tow operators in the county are seeing a similar trend. The most common stolen vehicles the company has recovered lately are Ford pickups and Subarus, he said.

• 88% increase in thefts in first 3 months of 2022 compared with last year

Suspects evade Clark County sheriff’s deputies in multiple early morning incidents

Clark County sheriff’s deputies responded to three separate incidents early Monday morning, in which the suspects evaded capture. The sheriff’s office blamed a lack of resources, as well as police reform laws and department policy regarding vehicle pursuits, for hampering their efforts.

Deputies responded at 1:54 a.m. to the 23000 block of Northeast 72nd Avenue for a crashed pickup. Upon arrival, they learned the driver and passengers ran from the scene. Deputies found a firearm inside the pickup and determined the vehicle was previously stolen in Vancouver and had stolen license plates, according to a sheriff’s office news release.