A bill waiting to be heard by the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee could give airports the option to use federal grant funds to try to get address car thefts from parking facilities.
Airports nationwide have seen a steep increase in car thefts, including at the Seattle Tacoma International Airport, where thefts jumped from 71 in 2022 to 173 in 2023.
“It was kind of a crazy moment, you don’t ever just expect your car to be gone,” said Danica Sessions, whose family van was taken from the Sea-Tac garage last year. “It’s such a burden on working families to have a vehicle stolen.”
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Sessions said police eventually recovered her van, but it was totaled by insurance after there was biohazardous material found inside.
“We were reimbursed, but it’s nowhere near what’s needed to replace the vehicle that was stolen,” she said. While car thefts have increased, airport officials note they impact just a small fraction of the more than two million drivers who used the garage last year.
Airports have become targets of increased thefts, including in Denver where federal prosecutors indicted a 13-person theft ring that is accused of swiping cars from the airport.
The ‘Securing Airport Facilities for Enhanced’ (SAFE) Parking Act, proposed by bipartisan representatives from Colorado, would allow airports to use federal grant funds for airport improvement to be used for parking security upgrades.
“People should be able to go in and out of the airport without the fear of getting their car stolen. Car thefts are crimes that represent a significant financial loss to these car owners and we must tackle this crime crisis immediately. I’m glad to receive support from both parties, as we work with collective commitment for safety measures to combat car theft in airports,” said Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D – Colorado.
The Sea-Tac airport has already added several security upgrades, including the automated parking guidance system that has a network of cameras watching the garage. Airport spokesperson Perry Cooper told KOMO News the garage has also been upgraded with lighting, emergency phones, and fire suppression systems.
Port of Seattle Police told KOMO News in November that several thefts involved people who left their keys in their cars.
That was the case with an Alfa Romeo that was stolen and later used to flee from Renton police. Investigators determined that the owner had rented the car out on an app and the person who rented left it unlocked with the keys in it.
The airport garage has an exit gate that requires customers to pay prior to leaving, but police said thieves may pay cash to exit with the stolen cars or tailgate behind other cars that are exiting.
“You walk out of the airport, ready to go home, walk out to the parking garage and the car is gone, it’s a violating feeling, it’s frustrating feeling.” ” said Sessions.