Also, juveniles now account for about one-half of all auto theft cases. The bill targets repeat auto thieves who are not currently deterred from committing the crime because the penalties are so low. Auto theft is a dangerous, violent crime. There are also many unrecoverable costs associated with it. The bill is an improvement over current law, but the penalties are still not tough enough to be a real deterrent.
Police have no incentive to make auto theft a priority.
Auto theft is not a violent offense and shouldn't be categorized at the same level as second degree assault, second degree child molestation, and second degree burglary. In many of the incidents causing concern, the prosecutor could have charged first degree theft. Also, these cases often involve a child taking his or her parent's car, and for this, the penalty is too high.