Full-Time Auto Theft Investigator Joins SCPD

(KNSI) – A steady rise in motor vehicle thefts has led to the St. Cloud Police Department hiring a full-time auto theft investigator.

According to the police department, in 2016, St. Cloud had 181 motor vehicle thefts, and in 2020, St. Cloud had 279. Through April 2021, St. Cloud has 106 reported car thefts.

Tasked with cutting those numbers will be Investigator Chris Voth, who’s been with the police department for seven years. He starts in his new role on Thursday, July 1.

Sergeant Justin Day says have a dedicated investigator looking over the cases has multiple advantages.

“All of these cases are going to come across his desk. So that having one person see this, we’re more likely to start recognizing trends. Like seeing the same name or names, for suspects, to be able to identify those types of patterns.”

He says auto thefts hurt society and can be a sign of other issues.

“The loss of the vehicle has huge impacts on that person, that family, as far as getting to work or getting kids to school. And the quality of life stuff. A lot of stolen vehicles are actually used to commit additional crimes.”

To keep from being a victim of auto theft, Day says don’t leave your vehicle running, don’t leave valuable possession in plain sight, and lock your doors.

The full-time auto theft investigator is being paid for with a grant for a year with the possibility of having it extended.