Crime & Safety

Belleville Man’s Truck Stolen On His Birthday, Son Says

Read about how a recent vehicle theft has affected a Belleville man and his father.

BELLEVILLE, NJ — Imagine walking outside to find your truck was stolen… on your birthday.

That’s the frustrating experience that inspired a Belleville resident to reach out to Patch with a story about an alleged car theft that recently took place on his father’s birthday. The resident – who asked not to be named – told Patch that his father’s vehicle was stolen from its parking spot near the corner of Main and William streets on Oct. 3.

“I have lived in Belleville for some time now and for the most part have always felt safe at any time of the day,” the resident wrote. “For something like this to occur it makes me wonder what else could be going on in the streets during those times.”

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When asked if the theft has affected his or his father’s behavior, the resident said that they are both “a little more vigilant” about their surroundings.

“While I’m out walking the dogs sometimes past midnight, I keep an eye out for whoever is around,” he wrote. “My dad installed security camera a while ago that were not actually recording anything, but now is making sure that it does record.”

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The resident told Patch that he thinks the Belleville Police Department needs to “make an example of someone” or patrol the area more often in order to prevent future car thefts.

Using the statistics from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, Patch recently compiled a list of the “100 N.J. Towns Where Your Car Is Least Safe.” Belleville ranked #12 on the list. See the full ranking here.

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