'Serious' Spike In NJ Car Thefts: Attorney General

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey is currently experiencing a "serious" spike in motor vehicle thefts, Acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced March 4.

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.

If you own a high-end vehicle (newer vehicles with a sticker prices of $50,000 and up), you are even more at risk: In North Jersey, high-end motor vehicle thefts increased 127 percent from January 31, 2021 to January 31 of this year, according to the Attorney General.

The most commonly stolen luxury cars are BMW X6, Land Rover Range Rover Sport, Audi Q5 and BMW X3.

The top vehicles stolen statewide so far in 2022 include Honda Accord, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Honda CR-V, BMW X5 and BMW 3-Series, said State Police.

State Police also said they are particularly looking at what they call New Jersey's CorrStat Region, a 19-mile stretch of Rt. 21 that connects the cities of Paterson and Newark. There are 80 northeast New Jersey towns in that CorrStat Region, including Newark.

In 2021, the CorrStat Region accounted for 63 percent of the state’s total motor vehicle thefts. And car theft in that region is up 31 percent so far in 2022, said State Police.

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.

Platkin also said he will be giving the unit an additional $125,000 in federal Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funds to make equipment purchases; he did not specify what kind of equipment they will be buying.

However, some police officers in New Jersey say they are hampered by an updated Attorney General policy, which went into effect in late 2021 and limits police car chases to only the most serious of crimes. This is part of an overhaul led by Gov. Murphy to reduce the use of force by police.

Under the new policy, a police officer may only pursue a car when he or she thinks a suspect has committed a major crime, such as murder, vehicular homicide or kidnapping. Law enforcement is no longer permitted to continue a car chase because of the suspect's speed or evasive driving.

"It prohibits a pursuit for a stolen vehicle," said Secaucus Police Chief Dennis Miller, who on Monday said catalytic converter theft is on the rise in his town. "What this reform has done is just increased the criminal's ability to drive away."

"Let us do our jobs and catch these people," said another police captain, this time in Middlesex County, who did not want to give his name. "We have encountered car thieves in our town, only to let them drive away because we cannot pursue them."

But the Attorney General maintains that high-speed police car chases are dangerous, and can put police officers, plus innocent drivers, on crowded New Jersey roads at risk.

Car thefts are happening all over New Jersey, in the suburbs as well as larger cities. In January of this year, towns such as Monroe, Edison, Franklin Township in Somerset County, Ocean Township, Oceanport and Hamilton all reported motor vehicle thefts accompanied by break-ins to residents' homes, said the AG.

Police are also finding that the stolen cars are frequently used to commit other violent crimes, particularly shootings.

"A vehicle stolen in Ocean County might be used as the getaway car in a Trenton shooting," said Platkin.

He also said the people who steal cars often have violent criminal histories, and connections to criminal gangs.

"This adds to the growing concern over the connection between auto theft and more serious crimes like shootings and robberies," said the AG's team in a press release announcing the crime spike.

Police are able to locate the stolen cars more quickly than before, which may in part be due to using license plate recognition technology and increased data sharing among law enforcement.

In 2016, stolen vehicle recovery time was an average of 45 days. In 2021, the average time to recovery was significantly cut to 13 days, with 70 percent of vehicles being recovered within 9 days or less, State Police data showed.

According to the State Police, the vast majority of auto thefts involve vehicles stolen when the key fob is left in the vehicle or the vehicle is left running.

From AG Platkin, here are the following tips to prevent having your car stolen:

• Never leave your keys or key fob in your vehicle
• Do not leave your vehicle running while unattended
• Park your car in well-lit areas
• Ensure all windows are closed
• Hide your valuables
• Make sure all doors are locked

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