Tire, Rim Thieves Targeting Nassau County Vehicles

Nassau County Police are warning residents of a rise in tire and rim thefts from cars throughout the county.

Since September 2015, there have been 116 reports of tire and rim larcenies in Nassau County and most of these thieves are targeting newer model Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Toyota vehicles, police say.

County Executive Edward P. Mangano and Acting Police Commissioner Thomas C. Krumpter are urging citizens to be on the lookout for any suspicious vehicles or people in the area.

Police say the thieves may be driving around at night looking for vehicles to target before committing the larcenies between the hours of midnight and 4 a.m.

The thefts are likely to occur when it’s raining heavily, so noises will remain undetected by the resident, police say.

Oftentimes, the thieves will loosen lug nuts from the cars and return in the early morning hours to finish the job. The vehicles are then left on jacks, cinder blocks or paving stones.

How to prevent these thefts from happening to you:

• Keep your driveway well lit throughout the night.
• Install surveillance cameras that will alert you if there is movement in front of your home.
• Buy wheel locks for your vehicle.
• Park your car in your garage overnight.

If you believe you may have been a victim of these larcenies, please call 911 immediately.

Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the person or persons responsible is asked to call Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS (8477). All calls will remain anonymous.

Image via Patch file photo