Westfield Continues To Combat Car Thefts With License Plate Readers

WESTFIELD, NJ — The Town Council is continuing to use License Plate Readers(LPR) to help combat the ongoing car theft issue in Westfield.

At the March 25 meeting, the Council passed a resolution authorizing payment of $59,007 to Flock Safety for the Town's 2025 costs of maintaining its 25 Falcon LPR cameras.

The LPR camera have shown to be successful in reducing the number of car thefts over the years.

In 2023, there were 24 vehicle thefts reported in Westfield, a 60 percent increase from 2022, when there were 15 vehicle thefts reported.

In 2021, in order to help combat this ongoing vehicle theft problem, the Town authorized the implementation of 15 LPR cameras, which were installed at various locations within the Town to detect the presence of stolen vehicles.

In 2023, the Town authorized the implementation of 10 more LPR cameras, which are currently

being installed at various additional locations within the Town.

This brings the total of LPR cameras in Westfield to 25.

In 2024, the Town reported seven vehicle thefts, a decrease of 68 percent - the lowest since 2016.

"Hoping to beat that in 2025. No pressure," said Assistant Town Administrator Heather Re-Ferratti.

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.