The Outlet Collection mall and the Muckleshoot Casino Resort are hot spots of crime in Auburn, according to city data.
According to Auburn’s crime map, between Aug. 1 and Aug. 13, there were 535 reported crimes.
Of those 535 crimes, 21 occurred in the vicinity of the Outlet Collection mall and 33 in the vicinity of the Muckleshoot Casino. Those numbers account for 10% of all crimes reported in Auburn from Aug. 1-13.
The most common crime at the Outlet Collection during the two-week period was theft — there were 15 reports of theft in the area, according to the crime map. At the Muckleshoot Casino, the most common crime was trespassing with 21 reported cases in the same timeframe. There were also three thefts, two assaults and several other crimes reported at the casino.
Vehicle thefts are a common occurrence at the Outlet Collection. From Aug. 17-22, there were 18 reports of stolen vehicles in Auburn, five of which were at the mall, according to the Auburn police blotter. Nearly one-third of all vehicle thefts in that five-day period occurred at the Outlet Collection.
The rest of the 18 vehicle thefts reported by police were spread out across the city. Only one other area in Auburn saw more than one vehicle theft during that time period: two cars were stolen from Auburn Way South about a mile and a half apart.
Although trespassing was the most common crime at the casino during the first two weeks of August, vehicle theft is also an issue. So far in 2021, there have been 14 vehicle thefts at the casino. In 2020, there were 21 vehicle thefts at the casino, said Kolby Crossley, Auburn Police Department’s public information officer.
There have been 17 vehicle thefts at the Outlet Collection mall in 2021, compared to six in all of 2020, Crossley said. The mall was shut down for a number of months in 2020 due to the pandemic. That is likely why the number of vehicle thefts last year is so low, Crossley said.
Despite the numbers, the Auburn Police Department does not report a trend in crime at the two locations.
To combat theft at the mall, there is an officer assigned to the mall who conducts extra patrols in areas of vehicle thefts. The casino hires its own security, but some off-duty officers work as security in the evening, Crossley said.
There are a few simple steps people can take to prevent vehicle theft at the mall or really anywhere: use a Club to lock the steering wheel, park close to the entrance, park under a light if it’s dark, remove valuables from your car, and of course, lock your doors, Crossley said.
