Car Thefts Went Up 70 Percent In 2021 In Hillsborough

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Hillsborough, just like the rest of Somerset County and the state, is seeing a spike in car thefts and burglaries.

In 2021, the township reported a 70 percent increase over 2020 in stolen cars and a 21.21 percent increase in motor vehicle(MV) burglaries.

Here is a breakdown of the statistics in Hillsborough:

Auto Thefts

• 2020 - 10
• 2021 - 17
• 2022 - 4 (as 0f March 16, 2022)

MV Burglaries and Attempted Burglaries to MV

• 2020 - 66
• 2021 - 80
• 2022 - 7 (as of March 16, 2022)

Most of these crimes are linked to residents leaving their vehicles unlocked and/or with the keys inside, said Hillsborough Township Police Chief Mike McMahon.

"The vast majority of car burglaries and stolen vehicles are as a result of residents leaving their vehicles unlocked or key fabs in the vehicle. These are crimes of opportunity that are happening all over the state. Thieves are looking for easy targets. They generally are pulling on a door handle and moving on if it is locked. Very seldom do they break a window," McMahon told Patch.

McMahon also suggested residents remove valuables from inside the cars.

"By not leaving anything valuable in plain view like wallets, purses, lap tops etc., there would be no reason for them to ever break a window either," said McMahon. "Residents should also not leave garage door openers in vehicles as this gives a thief access to the residence if they do break into your vehicle. Lock your doors, don't leave your key fob in the vehicle and remove all valuables every day."

The increase in car thefts is not isolated to Hillsborough, as Somerset County, NJ also reported that car thefts were up 22 percent in 2021.

New Jersey also reported a "serious" spike in motor vehicle thefts, Acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced March 4. Read More: 'Serious' Spike In NJ Car Thefts, AG Warns

In 2021, there were a total of 14,320 cars stolen in New Jersey, a 22 percent increase from 2020, according to State Police data.

To combat the crime surge, Platkin said he is adding more detectives and prosecutors to the state's Auto Theft Task Force, as well as bringing on board additional police departments from suburban towns across the state. Police officers from Westfield, Warren, Bernards, Middletown and Paramus are already part of the Auto Theft Task Force. These are suburban towns that typically see a high number of car thefts every year.

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