AUTO THEFT FOUGHT DEPUTIES TEAM UP WITH CHP, OTHERS.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - After a steady surge in auto theft over the past two years, the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's station is teaming up with the California Highway Patrol and other agencies to put an end to the trend.

``Right now the rise is high. It's something we need to address,'' said Lt. Scott Young, who heads the Santa Clarita Valley Detective Bureau. ``It is becoming an issue for us.''

During the first nine months of the year, there were 463 auto thefts, 40 percent more than the 332 reported in the same period last year. There also had been a 39 percent increase in 2001 from the previous year.

Sheriff's officials plan to meet with California Highway Patrol officers this week to discuss what they have seen and what areas they should target.

So far, they have identified three areas in the Santa Clarita Valley that might be targeted, officials said. They could seek volunteers, use a decoy vehicle and conduct surveillance to combat theft and to identify suspects.

Over the past months, sheriff's officials said they also have been working hard to detect a pattern in the thefts.

``We haven't been able to ascertain a pattern up until now,'' said Capt. Don Rodriguez, commander of the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's station. ``They were valleywide. Now we have done some mapping and established a pattern.''

In addition to the California Highway Patrol, sheriff's officials said they are working with state parole agents and county probation officers, and they might ask for help from the Sheriff's Department's specialized team investigating auto thefts.

``We are going to assemble and will share what we have,'' Young said. ``We are trying to get a handle on what might be a causal factor.''