By Sunayana Prabhu
Auto thieves have been getting increasingly brazen in New Jersey, hitting some of the most affluent parts of the Two River area, where incidents have been recorded in broad daylight.
The Middletown Township Police Department has confirmed that township police responded to 20 reports of stolen cars in 2022, which have been attributed to perpetrators operating from outside the area. This number includes nine vehicles that were stolen in August and September. Of the nine automobiles that were taken since Aug. 1, three have been recovered.
On Sept. 11 at approximately 3:25 p.m., the Middletown Police responded to a residence in the area of Navesink River Road, which is in “close proximity to Governor Phil Murphy’s residence, for a report of an attempted burglary to a garage, where a high-end SUV was located,” said Middletown’s Deputy Police Chief Paul Bailey in an email response to The Two River Times with details of the incident. He explained that an alert neighbor called police.
“The suspects, two males wearing hooded sweatshirts, fled the area in a white BMW. The suspect vehicle was then seen during two other vehicle theft attempts at residences on Sleepy Hollow Road, and on Monmouth Ave in the Navesink section of the township.”
The department continues to proactively address these incidents through increased patrols in the areas that have been targeted by thieves. Additionally, “the agency has had an officer assigned full time to the New Jersey State Police Auto Theft Task Force for the last two years,” Bailey said. “This commitment, along with our work with our local, county, state, and federal law enforcement partners, has provided us with a high level of responsiveness as we work to apprehend the responsible parties and recover the victims’ vehicles.”
Bailey urged people “to continue to be alert to the security of their homes, property, and neighborhood,” urging residents to lock their doors when away from home and at night. To thwart those targeting automobiles, he advised owners to lock their vehicles and remove the key fob, storing it far enough away so the vehicle no longer detects it.
The Middletown Township Police Department has asked the public to be alert to their surroundings and to quickly report suspicious people or vehicles to the police.
In Red Bank, the police department has recorded two additional auto thefts this month, according to Chief Darren McConnell who spoke on the matter at the borough council meeting Sept. 14. McConnell said it was “just another reminder for people to lock their cars and take their key fobs with them since auto thefts are continuing to be an issue. Not terribly in Red Bank but certainly in the area.”
Along with law enforcement officials, both state and federal leadership are cognizant of the problem, introducing new bills and policies to curb the surge of car thefts statewide.
State Sen. Vin Gopal (D-11) and Assemblywoman Shanique Speight (D-29) partnered on two bills that would strengthen penalties for car thieves and promote prevention efforts across New Jersey.
“The surge in auto thefts over the past two years threatens the property and safety of New Jersey residents and places an added strain on law enforcement,” Gopal said in a recent statement addressing the spike. “It’s crucial we begin taking steps to deter car thieves while also providing additional support to the departments and officials working hard to curb this disturbing trend.”
The first of the two bills (S3026) which Gopal introduced earlier this month, would establish an Automobile Theft Prevention Authority (APTA) and appropriate $2 million to the new body. Several states have already successfully implemented APTAs, which convene law enforcement officers, prosecutors, insurance representatives, and at-large members to discuss best practices, create rules, and coordinate statewide prevention efforts.
“Car thefts are an evolving issue that affects a diverse group of residents and communities in the state, and it’s important New Jersey has flexibility in how it responds,” Gopal said. “An ATPA is a proven model that benefits from the combined expertise of stakeholders and allows the state to mount quick, targeted responses to auto theft developments.”
The second bill (S3028) would increase penalties for juveniles and adults convicted of auto theft and related crimes, as well as increasing penalties on adults who hire juveniles to commit the crime.
Considering the dramatic surge in stolen vehicles, state Acting Attorney General Matt Platkin and Gov. Phil Murphy announced Sept. 12 that the state will provide $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to acquire or expand existing Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology to combat a spike in vehicle thefts believed to be driving more serious, violent crime in New Jersey.
Local police departments could use the ALPR grant funding to purchase and expand existing high-speed, automated camera systems to capture and store computer-readable images of license plates in a centralized database accessible to law enforcement. The technology will be installed at fixed locations throughout New Jersey and mounted on mobile units.
In another effort to combat auto theft, in April Platkin reversed his own policy that prevented police officers from pursuing stolen cars.
A vehicular pursuit policy published by the state on nj.gov in 2021, provides details on high-speed vehicular pursuits, showing they create a substantial risk of injuries and fatalities. According to the report, over 10% of vehicular pursuits end up in accidents resulting in injuries or fatalities, including to officers, innocent third parties in vehicles unrelated to the pursuit, and pedestrians.
But after a dramatic spike in stolen vehicles and complaints from citizens, local government officials and police, Platkin relented to now permit police to chase a car they think has been stolen.
However, high-speed chases are a concern, especially as vehicular deaths are on the rise across the county. According to a Sept. 1 report from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, in July 13 people died in vehicular incidents, the highest figure recorded in any month since at least 2014.
Law enforcement officials in the county and town have been urging local motorists to exercise additional caution heading into autumn.
“We are seeking the public’s help in preventing as many of these traffic accidents as possible, by taking proactive steps to stay safe and protect one another,” said Lori Linskey, acting Monmouth County prosecutor. “It is an absolute imperative that we do everything in our power, across every level of law enforcement, to seek to ensure that this is a trend that gets quickly reversed.”
The article originally appeared in the September 22 – 28, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
