PAO Updates Council on Gun Violence, Residential Burglary and Auto Theft

On Tuesday July 10, King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg briefed the King County Council’s Law, Safety, Justice Health and Human Services Committee on his office’s ongoing efforts to combat three serious areas of crime:  gun violence, residential burglary and auto theft. Satterberg was joined by Steve Hobbs, Senior DPA and cross designated as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney. Hobbs spoke to the council about his review of all King County firearm cases and his decision of whether to prosecute each case at a state or federal level as part of “Project Safe Neighborhoods.”

Satterberg also discussed his office’s efforts to target chronic, repeat burglars and car thieves by stacking criminal offenses from multiple jurisdictions in order to obtain increased prison sentences for those who are convicted.   Satterberg made the following points when he addressed the Council:

• Since 2010, 39 repeat burglars received an average sentence of 80 months, and

• Car thefts in King County have decreased 53% since the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office’s (PAO’s) Car Theft Initiative (CTI) was formed in 2005.

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