Police Commissioner Edward Caban and Mayor Eric Adams declared war Wednesday on auto theft across New York City — vowing to turn around the rising grand larceny auto theft rate throughout the five boroughs.
Although Hizzoner championed a steady decrease in major crimes over the course of the year, he admitted that auto thefts have been a constant thorn in the side when it comes to crime statistics. According to police data released Sept. 6, the targeted vehicles are primarily Kia and Hyundai cars, with thefts reaching almost 2,000 this year compared to the whole of 2022 which only saw 300 of the stolen models, a 587% increase.
“Grand larceny autos is really putting a blemish on our success,” Adams said. “We are going to take the wheel of this crisis and drive it and put it on the right path.”
Adams and Caban revealed the deployment of police vehicles with new technology across the five boroughs designed to combat auto theft. Each police precinct will now employ a dedicated patrol car outfitted with two mobile license plate readers that will be on patrol 24/7 while also serving as a liaison to detective squads.
Although these squad cars will patrol citywide, they will also concentrate efforts on known problem locations such as the Bronx and northern Queens, while also scanning active hotspot areas and recovery locations within their command to identify potential stolen vehicles and reduce response times by patrol cars when responding to calls for stolen vehicles.
For Caban, combating auto theft is not just about protecting New Yorkers from having their rides stolen; it’s also an effort to keep more serious crime at bay.
“Those who steal cars often commit other types of serious crimes, everything from robbery to shootings happen with stolen cars,” Caban said. “Stolen cars have become broken windows on wheels, which is why we must stop it before things escalate.”
Mayor Adams blames the spike in stolen cars on a social media trend that encourages youth to steal certain models of Kia and Hyundai vehicles due to a fault that allows easy thefts promoted primarily on TikTok. According to the mayor, over 51% of those arrested for Grand Larceny Autos are under the age of 18 while 88% are under the age of 25.
“We want to protect the future of young people. A joyride does not bring about joy when you have a permanent criminal record that can impact your livelihood in the future. We encourage people to take the necessary steps and necessary precaution,” Adams charged.
Adams and the NYPD are asking vehicle owners to purchase tracking devices such as AirTags and place them inside of their vehicle; in the event the vehicle is stolen, police can use the device’s tracking system to pinpoint the vehicle’s location — hopefully before it is damaged or used in another crime.
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