By Forum Staff
Mayor Eric Adams recently announced a new plan to crack down on auto thefts throughout the five boroughs.
Despite an overall decrease in major crime so far this year, grand larceny auto is up approximately 19 percent through August, driven primarily by an increase in the theft of certain Kia and Hyundai models that is not only impacting the five boroughs but the entire nation. That trend—driven in large part by viral social media videos—emerged in the city in September 2022, spiked three months later, and continues to the current day. Adams’ plan, unveiled last Wednesday, includes new enforcement strategies, enhanced collaboration with private and public sector partners, and education efforts by the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety, the City Police Department, and City Small Business Services.
Every NYPD precinct now has a dedicated GLA radio motor patrol car outfitted with two mobile license plate readers that will be on patrol 24/7 and will serve as a liaison to the existing detective squads within the confines of each precinct. Additionally, the NYPD has assigned a GLA coordinator within its Crime Analysis Unit to enhance data collection on stolen or lost vehicles and arrest tracking.
The newly deployed GLA response vehicles will scan known active hotspot locations and recovery locations within their command to identify potential stolen vehicles and reduce response times by patrol cars when responding to calls for stolen vehicles. To further the NYPD’s GLA investigative efforts, officers deployed to GLA response vehicles will:
- Enhance the quality of GLA investigations by increasing evidence collection through broader video recovery and greater canvassing of potential witnesses following a car theft.
- Ensure near real-time notifications are made to the NYPD’s interconnected license plate readers’ alert system following a confirmed report of a vehicle theft, enabling the NYPD’s more than 250 license plate readers throughout the city to provide department-wide updates on a stolen vehicle’s location and trigger a swift response.
- Receive advanced training to ensure proper charges are made against arrestees, including the removal of desk appearance tickets being issued for GLAs.
- Utilize license plate readers to proactively scan impound lots, scrap yards, and known hot-spot areas for stolen vehicles.
- Increase surveillance of recovered vehicles after the NYPD’s evidence collection team processes potential evidence in the event that a perpetrator returns to the vehicle.
In line with the NYPD’s precision policing strategies, the new plan includes enhanced investigative tactics and the assignment of additional investigators to gather, analyze, and operationalize intelligence to combat car theft. The added personnel will aid in the Auto Crime Unit’s work to discern trends in vehicle-related crimes, identify and suppress recidivism, and stop the kind of violent crimes that are being facilitated by the use of stolen vehicles. The Auto Crime Unit’s intelligence sharing—across NYPD bureaus and all five boroughs—will enable the NYPD to better identify patterns, hone in on problematic conditions and locations, and develop timely, intelligence-driven deployment plans to knock down auto theft where it occurs.
“This comprehensive plan focuses on enforcement, education, partnerships, and outreach to help us leave car thefts in the dust,” Adams said.
