Eye-popping demonstration at state Capitol

OLYMPIA - Every 11 minutes, a car is stolen in our state. At the state Capitol Monday, there was a dramatic demonstration to highlight efforts to get tough on car thieves. A professional team of dismantlers is going to try to take a car apart in less than 10 minutes.

At 36 seconds, there goes the hood.

The police say car theft has reached epidemic proportions and there's little deterrent to the car thieves.

1:27, "there goes the front bumper"

They say repeat car thieves such as Taylor Norton, who's stolen 300 cars, get light sentences and then go out and steal more cars.

At 2:35 there goes a front door.

State Rep. John Lovick, a former state trooper, wants to do something about that. His bill (HB 1001) would toughen the penalty for repeat car thieves including juveniles.

The bill is named in honor of Elizabeth Nowak, the Seattle Police Officer killed in a crash by a car thief.

"I'm impressed," Lovick says of the dismantlers. " It's scary to think that they can strip a car so fast. I'm quite impressed."

Lovick continues, "If you don't take the precautions to keep your car from being stolen, this is what you're going to end up with."

And the professional team from Allstate isn't even using power tools.

"And that is it. It is under ten minutes at 9:56. Under ten minutes this whole thing is done."

Dismantling team member Chuck Jones says about car thieves, "They could do this to any car. If you have a garage, park it in it and lock it up. That'd be the best thing to do."

Lovick says it's the most popular bill he's ever sponsored. But he wanted this eye-catching demonstration on the Capitol steps to give the bill an extra boost as it heads into the Senate.

The car theft bill would require home detention, a fine and community service, rather than probation, for a first offense.