Auto theft in New York Metropolis goes down a nasty highway.
Automotive swipes have spiked 25 p.c to date this yr, with 4,473 thefts reported by July 4, in comparison with the identical interval in 2020 when there have been 3,580, NYPD information present.
Thieves are apparently having a heyday in The Bronx, the place 1,294 autos have been boosted to date in 2021, in comparison with 843 in 2020, for a 54 p.c surge.
There have been 1,262 autos lifted in Brooklyn this yr in comparison with 1,123 in 2020, a 12 p.c hike and 1,139 stolen in Queens in 2021 in comparison with 1,045 final yr, a 9 p.c uptick.
In Manhattan, 684 vehicles have been snatched, with the issue apparently concentrated within the Midtown North Precinct, which encompasses Midtown and consists of blocks south of Central Park. That’s the place 426 autos have been snatched this yr, as in comparison with 260 in 2020, a 64 p.c surge.
In search of a way of safety? Park on Staten Island, the place auto theft is down 14 p.c this yr — 94 — in comparison with final yr — 109, the information present.
On July 2, cops thwarted a crazed carjacker in Sundown Park, Brooklyn who sped off with a 2-year-old within the again. The kid was lacking for over an hour following the harrowing 3:40 p.m. incident and located unhurt close to Brooklyn Bridge Park, the place the suspect was arrested.
Automotive theft has gotten so dangerous within the metropolis, that some cops have been steering individuals to an ’80s throwback safety system — The Membership — to safeguard their trip as 2020 got here to an in depth.
The NYPD stated automobile thefts leap in the summertime as a result of persons are touring extra. Prior to now, the division has blamed the state’s bail reform overhaul and the coronavirus lockdown partly, for the surge — with automobile thieves emboldened as metropolis residents weren’t shifting their autos as a lot.
Thefts usually happen when keys or key fobs are left in vehicles, or drivers depart their rides unattended with the motor operating, the NYPD stated.
To that, 1,859 of this yr’s 4,473 reported thefts — 42 p.c — concerned keys left inside a automobile, the division stated. One other 985 — or 22 p.c — have been motorbike/scooter thefts.
Final yr, the division famous the NYPD was seeing a “youthful demographic” — extra thieves underneath 18. Late-model Hondas have been “by far” the apple of a automobile thief’s eye, adopted by Toyotas, cops stated.
This yr, the highest 5 vehicles within the cross-hairs are, so as: Ford Econoline, Honda Accord, Honda CRV, Toyota Camry and Honda Civic, the NYPD stated.
Gotham averaged 639 auto thefts on a given day of the week this yr, the stats present. Thieves put the pedal to the metallic on Thursdays, when 683 autos have been reported stolen. Their fuel tank runs lowest on Saturdays when the fewest variety of autos — 587 — have been stolen, in accordance with the information.
“Simply wait till New York Metropolis residents see their subsequent auto insurance coverage invoice,” snarked Joseph Giacalone, an adjunct professor at John Jay Faculty of Prison Justice and a former NYPD sergeant, who stated automobile theft has been “off the charts” for over two years.
