Livingston Police Urge: Report Crimes To Us, Don't Just Post About It On Facebook

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Amid recent high-profile carjackings and burglaries in Essex and Union counties, the Livingston Police said this week that people shouldn't only talk about crimes in their social media posts, but should actually tell police about them.

The police said on Monday, "Recently we have seen a few social media posts to group pages about attempted motor vehicle thefts or suspicious people right after they have happened without a call to the police. We would remind residents to please call US first as we do not monitor group pages."

The police said it was admirable to warn neighbors about what they saw, but they should reach out to police as well.

High-profile crimes in the area, including carjackings, have recently made the news. For instance:

• On Sunday, a Millburn resident said that after he parked his Porsche in front of his house, a young man pointed a gun at him. The man and four friends piled into his Porsche and drove away.
• A week ago, a woman stepped out of her car in Maplewood and someone jumped in and took off — with her 1-year-old child in the back seat.
• An unlocked Mercedes Benz was stolen from a Summit driveway Monday night.
• In Livingston, police have been responding to multiple home burglaries.

Public safety officials in several North Jersey towns have begged residents to lock their cars and remove their key fobs amid a rise in car thefts.

They've also asked residents to report suspicious behavior to police, including lurking vehicles.

The Livingston police posted this recommendation on Facebook on Monday for people to call them, and included their number, 973-992-3000:

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