Car Thefts Up As Much As 2,000% In Westchester

SCARSDALE, NY — Auto thefts continue to rise in Westchester County at extremely high rates. Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino Jr. said there have been widespread car thefts in residential areas including Scarsdale, where stolen vehicles have spiked by as much as 2,000 percent over the same period from last year.

Records show that every municipality in the county has reported at least one theft and other incidents. Statistics compiled by the district attorney's office Westchester Intelligence Center from local law enforcement show a year-over-year increase of 60 percent through the end of August.

"While we do know of groups of professional thieves from New Jersey stealing luxury vehicles and exporting them for the overseas black market," Scarpino said, "a majority of thefts in the suburbs are carried out mostly by teens and young people from Connecticut's urban areas who are coming into Westchester, stealing cars which are left unlocked and with a fob/key left in the car."

He said the thefts were bad enough, but the cars are being used to commit other crimes and endangering the lives of others.

"Some have been involved in police pursuits resulting in accidents," Scarpino said.

He said, if you leave your car unlocked, you are helping criminals and putting others in danger.

Scarpino said that, outside of the four big cities in the county, Rye, Scarsdale, Harrison, North Castle and Greenburgh have seen the largest number of stolen vehicles.

Besides Scarsdale, which had a 2,000 percent increase in thefts — from one in 2019 to 21 in 2020 — Rye Brook had a 1,200 percent increase; Sleepy Hollow, 700 percent; town of Mamaroneck, 600 percent, and Irvington, 400 percent.

• Tips to keep your vehicle from being stolen or rifled through include:
• Never leave you key or key fob in the car
• Never leave the car running unattended
• Never keep garage door openers in the care if it is not parked in a locked garage
• Always lock the car doors
• Always remove or hide all valuables
• Always activate your alarm if you have one
• Always close the car windows
• Always park in a well-lit area at night if possible.

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