by Carleigh Minor
News Partner 13WHAM

Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) — It’s a crime we are hearing and seeing far too often: stolen cars.

This year alone, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says 1,700 vehicles have been stolen in the county.

"It’s a terrible feeling, and that motivates us to apprehend these people," Inv. James Coco said. "Because a lot of people are repeat victims, where their car has been stolen numerous times."

One of those repeat victims is 22-year-old Spencer Cloutier.

His vehicle was stolen twice in the last year— once from the parking lot of his job, and then from his own driveway.

"I was pretty freaked out, the first time especially, because I didn’t see my car in the parking lot, so I was like ‘Where did it go?’” Cloutier said. "Then, I realized that it was stolen."

Cloutier says it’s been a major inconvenience, to say the least.

"They actually found it all the way out in Syracuse, and the passenger side window was smashed in, the steering column was broken and the battery was dead because it was just sitting in a lot," said Cloutier. "Lots of repairs and a lot of the parts were on backorder. I think it was a month or two."

He borrowed a vehicle from family and friends to drive to work, and also got rides while those repairs were being made.

According to Coco, 1-2 vehicles are typically reported stolen per shift.

"Depending on the day, sometimes more, sometimes less," he said.

With MCSO’s stolen vehicle task force created last July, Coco says 5-7 stolen vehicles are recovered in a day.

"We’ve been hugely successful with the manpower we bring to bring these kids to justice, with car chases,"said Coco. "We have enough manpower to flood the areas and take people into custody and put them into detention."

According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the stolen car detail will continue for the foreseeable future.