Insurance rates, like policing, is influenced by several factors

In response to two recent letters published in the Sun about insurance rates and causes, I recently was getting a quote for a new insurance policy myself.It is a multi-pronged issue. Part of it is newer vehicles cost more to repair which people then use their insurance for that. What I've also heard is EVs cost a lot more to repair which is likely to raise rates. We do need to see information around what average policy rates are going for in this state versus others. Vehicle thefts likely play a portion of it but not all of it.When I hear lock them up policies have not worked. Leniency has not worked either. In Thurston County, an 8-time felon led police on a high-speed chase driving under the influence. Should that individual be let out after committing multiple offenses and continues to repeat them? No.It is one thing to work toward building opportunities for those who have been released to ensure they don't end up back in the system. However, when I continue to see headlines of multiple time felons continuing to victimize innocent people, on top of increasing crime rates statewide, the pendulum has swung too far the wrong direction. If the policies were thoughtful and productive, we wouldn't have seen the increase in crime rates in this state versus national trends.

Daniel Hodun, Bremerton