State makes push for locking cars

Says 'simple act' can fight rising thefts

By: Liam Quinn
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey

..... Much has been made about the growing car theft problem in New Jersey, and the state is once again on pace to surpass its total from the previous year. [2021] But why are more cars being stolen? A big factor is a lack of owner responsibility.
..... State Attorney General Matthew Platkin has a message for New Jersey automobile owners: Lock your cars.
..... "Vehicles today are equipped with advanced technology that makes them virtually theft-proof, but that technology is rendered useless when owners make the decision to leave key fobs inside their cares or leave them running in driveways or public parking lots," Platkin said in a statement.
..... "We want people to realize that the simple act of locking their vehicle and taking the key fob with them is the single best way to combat the rise in auto theft in New Jersey and help reduce the violent crime associated with it," he said.
..... Local law enforcement figures have also emphasized an effective way to avoid getting your car stolen is to make sure it's locked and that the key fob isn't left inside.
..... It might sound like a no-brainer to many, but not everyone is following best practice.
..... A high-profile example of this occurred in January, [2022] when an SUV belonging to former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci was stolen in Paramus because the vehicle had been left unlocked with a spare key fob in it. Fortunately for the Mooch, the care was recovered later that day.
..... But why is it so hard for some folks to lock there cars? Well, Thomas Shea, former cop and current director of the Law Enforcement Executive Leadership Program at Seton Hall, has a theory.
..... "It's complacency" he said. "You live in the suburbs and you have very little crime, and then you're shocked when something actually happens in your neighborhood because it never rally did traditionally.
..... Shea gave a personal example, when his wife's unlocked car was burgled, even though they lived in a community he called "safe." People, "never think it's going to happen to them until it happens to them," Shea said.
..... there's credence to that theory. While car thefts are on the rise across New Jessey, with a reported 19% increase thorough the first eight months of 2022 from last year, [2021] the two counties seeing the largest increase in North Jersey are Bergen and Morris, both heavily suburban. Morris County has seen a 35% increase in car thefts so far in 2022, and Bergen has seen a whopping 54% increase, according to statistics provided by the state Attorney General's Office.
..... Although the state's state don't say what caused each theft, there is anecdotal evidence that points to unlocked cars as the biggest reason thefts are up.
..... "The vast majority of the people who lose their cars, the car is either running or the key fob is in the car," Morris County Sheriff Jim Gannon said.
..... As a result of the rising numbers, the Attorney General's Office is relaunching its statewide "Lock It or Lose It" campaign, intended to discourage people from leaving cars unlocked with key fobs inside. It was initially launched in October 2020, when authorities started tracking a connection between stolen cars and violent crime.
..... Preventing car thefts is, of course, not an exact science. But potential victims can do themselves a lot of good by taking proper precautions, and law enforcement agencies have tried to spread the word.
..... In Fair Lawn, the Police Department has preached the #9PMRoutine, an awareness program started by the North Miami Police Department. The #9PMRoutine advises people to secure their house and car locks every night before going to bed.
..... "We just try to remind the residents through social media accounts to lock up there vehicles, to take the key fobs out," Fair Lawn police Sargent Brian Metzler said.
..... At the end of the day, thieves are going to steal cars regardless of whatever steps the public takes, and Gannon said that ultimately the blame shouldn't be placed on a victim whose car was unlocked.
..... "Thieves shouldn't be on your property," he said.
..... But making sure your car is locked and that the keys are safely stowaway is a surefire way to make it more difficult for someone to steal it.
..... Morris County has taken measures to inform the community, also through social media and by meeting with the public, reminding them to lock up.
..... "There's a lot going on in life," Gannon said. "We just want to remind them, 'Hey, just take that key inside with you.'"

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