ST. CHARLES COUNTY(KMOV) - St. Charles County law enforcement agencies are actively working to combat car thefts as the St. Louis region grapples with ongoing thefts.

According to St. Charles County Prosecutor Tim Lohmar, the problem in his county ramped up shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic began. As a result, the county created the Multi-Jurisdictional Auto Theft Task Force, merging manpower and resources from police departments across the county to be on the lookout for car thieves.

In its first two years, the task force has made 672 arrests, culminating in 218 felonies and 216 misdemeanors. It also seized 62 guns and recovered 28 stolen vehicles.

“I do think the mindset over the last few years in this county is changing,” said Lohmar. “People are realizing though we do have a safe community, we are not immune from criminal activity.”

Lohmar said his office recommends mandatory prison time for those who are convicted of Tampering 1st.

“We are seeing emboldened young people who don’t appear afraid to get caught or to run from the police,” he said. “We have to have communities that discourage this kind of behavior that don’t lionize this behavior or champion it. You have to have those who are willing to stand up and say this is not okay, and if you do keep doing this, you will end up dead or in prison.”

Data from the St. Charles County Jail shows through November 2022, around 70 percent of those arrested for Tampering 1st lived outside of St. Charles County. The average...

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