Mendham Mayor Asks Residents Do Their Part To Stop Crime

MENDHAM, NJ - It has been a plea from law enforcement officials for months, but not Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner is lending her voice to the chorus asking that

"Our Police Department is working diligently to keep our community safe, but we all need to do our part by securing our own property and watching out for our neighbors and friends," Glassner told Patch. "If you see your neighbor’s garage door opened late at night and think it’s in error or forgot to lock their cars reach out and let them know. Property safety is a community effort."

Last month, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor (OIFP) launched the "Lock It or Lose It" public awareness campaign aimed at discouraging New Jerseyans from leaving their cars unlocked with the key fob inside.

"Auto theft isn't just for joyriding anymore. It could be a critical first step in the commission of much more serious crimes like murder and robbery," said Grewal. "We want people to realize that carelessly leaving their key fobs in their unlocked cars or leaving their cars running and unattended is an open invitation to car thieves who need a vehicle to carry out their criminal agenda."

The initiative, which closes Insurance Fraud Awareness Month, seeks to counter the steady increase in luxury vehicle thefts that cost the insurance industry billions of dollars each year nationwide in claim payouts and investigative costs, and give rise to insurance fraud and other crimes.

This message is not new, however. Law enforcement agencies across the state sending have been posting to social media encouraging residents to follow the #9PMRoutine of locking doors and taking in valuables. They have sent out numerous warnings via press release and despite that messaging Patch has consistently reported on these incidents all over New Jersey:

• 1 Car Stolen, 3 Burglarized: All Unlocked In Bridgewater
• Surge In Car Thefts Reported In Somerset County
• 2 Thefts Reported From Lacey Homes In The Past Week
• 3 Vehicles Stolen In Surf City, Audi Still Missing
• Car Burglaries On The Rise In Moorestown: Police
• 3 Arrested In Gloucester Township Car Burglary Stakeout: Police
• 2 Unlocked Cars Stolen In Westfield
• Chatham Chief : All Cars Stolen Left Unlocked With Keys Inside
• Auto Theft Task Force Formed In Morris County

Concerns about the criminal domino effect of stolen cars come at a time when auto thefts in general are trending downward in the state, but thefts of high-end vehicles-– loosely defined as less than five years' old with a sticker price of $50,000 and up, are rising, officials said.

Statistics compiled by the New Jersey State Police show that from January through September of 2020, a total of 7,131 autos were reported stolen statewide, 4.4 percent fewer than reported during the same period in 2019. However, high-end auto thefts climbed 7.5 percent to 1,501.

It is a trend being played out across the country. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) while national vehicle thefts have enjoyed a steady decline for the last three years, the number of vehicles stolen with keys or fobs left inside has been increasing some 10 percent each year.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, between 40 and 50 percent of vehicle theft is due to driver error, which includes leaving vehicle doors unlocked and leaving keys or fobs inside.

Reports from New Jersey law enforcement agencies put that percentage even higher.

While hard and fast statistics are not available, it is estimated that nearly all high-end thefts in the state involve vehicles that were left running unattended or unlocked with the key fob inside.

"Ironically, car thieves are stealing vehicles that are equipped with advanced anti-theft technology, but that technology is rendered useless when owners make the decision to leave key fobs inside their cars. This careless behavior encourages criminals to look for easy targets," said Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. "The consequences of car theft are multifaceted. Stolen vehicles are often used in the commission of crimes, and the astronomical costs to insurance companies affect the insurance premiums of policyholders. A vast amount of car thefts can be avoided by simply locking your vehicles and keeping fobs in a safe location."

More than $6 billion was lost nationwide to motor vehicle thefts in 2019, requiring insurance companies to pay out large sums of money, costs they pass on to all of their policy holders.

"From the minute a car is reported stolen, the meter starts ticking for insurance companies whose first order of business is to conduct an investigation to determine that the claim is legitimate and not an attempt to illegally obtain a payout through fraud," said Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Thompson. "And any injuries or damages a car thief causes to people or property after driving off with your stolen car is likely to be borne by insurance providers, which translates to higher premiums for you. That's something to consider before leaving your car unlocked and vulnerable to car thieves. Are you willing to pay the price?"

The impact of vehicle theft isn't just measured in dollars and cents, officials said. Once considered a low-level property crime by law enforcement departments busy battling more serious public threats, auto theft is now being viewed as a contributing factor in violent crime nationwide.

Stolen vehicles are used in the commission of untold crimes of violence in our state each year, but their involvement is often relegated to a footnote in news articles, or left unmentioned altogether.

But a growing number of law enforcement agencies want to change that.

To further combat this and other issues affecting the community, a multi-agency auto theft/anti-crime task force has been launched to enhance patrols and further investigations of auto theft and other pattern-type crimes. This initiative, first conceptualized by Chief Andrew Caggiano of the Montville Police Department, has come about through a partnership between the Morris County Sheriff's Office, the Morris County Police Chiefs' Association, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office and the New Jersey State Police Auto Theft Task Force, in coordination with various law
enforcement agencies.

"In Montville, we are a geographically and economically convenient location. As such, we are experiencing a scourge of vehicle thefts and burglaries," Caggiano said. "I realized that there is strength in the combining of our forces, and proposed the Auto Theft Task Force."

Chester Police Chief Thomas Williver, who serves as President of the Morris County Police Chiefs' Association, agreed.

"We find that by joining agencies and supplying personnel to a task force, we can create a situation of force multiplication," said Williver. "We support Chief Caggiano and all of the Morris County Chiefs whose jurisdictions are affected by this dangerous crime spree. This is intelligence-led policing and will help all of our communities."

A key mission of the "Lock It or Lose It" campaign is to get New Jerseyans to recognize that vehicle theft is a gateway crime to more serious criminal activity. By locking their cars and keeping the key fobs with them at all times, New Jersey residents can prevent the next crime spree from happening, reducing the risks to our law enforcement officers and preventing the unnecessary loss of innocent lives.

Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Thompson noted that some important cases have started with anonymous tips. People who are concerned about insurance cheating and have information about a fraud can report it anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-877-55-FRAUD, or visiting the Website at www.njinsurancefraud.org. State regulations permit a reward to be paid to an eligible person who provides information that leads to a conviction for insurance fraud.

The Morris County Auto Theft Task Force can be contacted at 973-285-6300 or after hours at 973-285-2900.

The Mendham Borough Police Department can be reached at 973-543-2527.

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