18 December 2020
MENDHAM, NJ – It {has|has actually} been a plea from {law enforcement|police} {officials|authorities} for months, {but|however} not Mendham {Borough|District} Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner is {lending|providing} her voice to the chorus asking that
“Our {Police|Authorities|Cops} Department is working {diligently|vigilantly} to keep our {community|neighborhood} safe, {but|however} {we all|all of us} {need|require} to do our part by {securing|protecting} our own {property|residential or commercial property|home} and {watching out for|keeping an eye out for|looking out for} our {{neighbors|next-door neighbors} and {friends|buddies|pals|good friends}|{friends|buddies|pals|good friends} and {neighbors|next-door neighbors}},” Glassner {told|informed} {Patch|Spot}. “If you see your {neighbor|next-door neighbor}’s garage door opened late {at night|in the evening|during the night} and {think|believe} it’s in {error|mistake} or forgot to lock their {cars|vehicles|automobiles|cars and trucks} {reach out|connect} and let them {know|understand}. {Property|Residential or commercial property|Home} {safety|security} is {a community|a neighborhood} effort.”
Last month, {Attorney General|Attorney general of the United States|Chief law officer} Gurbir S. Grewal and the {Office|Workplace} of the {Insurance|Insurance Coverage} {Fraud|Scams} {Prosecutor|District Attorney} (OIFP) {launched|introduced|released} the “Lock It or Lose It” public awareness {campaign|project} {aimed at|targeted at|focused on} {discouraging|dissuading|preventing} New Jerseyans from leaving their {cars|vehicles|automobiles|cars and trucks} {unlocked|opened} with the {key|essential|crucial} fob inside.
“{Auto|Car|Automobile|Vehicle} theft isn’t {just|simply} for joyriding {anymore|any longer}. It {could|might} be {a critical|a crucial|a vital|an important} {first step|initial step|primary step} in the commission of {much more|a lot more|far more} {serious|major|severe} {crimes|criminal offenses|criminal activities} like murder and {robbery|burglary|break-in},” {said|stated} Grewal. “We {want|desire} {people|individuals} to {realize|recognize|understand} that {carelessly|thoughtlessly} leaving their {key|essential|crucial} fobs in their {unlocked|opened} {cars|vehicles|automobiles|cars and trucks} or leaving their {cars|vehicles|automobiles|cars and trucks} running and {unattended|ignored} is an open {invitation|invite} to {car|vehicle|automobile|cars and truck} {thieves|burglars} who {need|require} {a vehicle|a car|an automobile|a lorry} to {carry out|perform} their criminal {agenda|program}.”
The {initiative|effort}, which closes {Insurance|Insurance coverage} {Fraud|Scams} Awareness Month, {seeks|looks for} to counter the {steady|stable|consistent|constant} {increase|boost} in {luxury|high-end} {vehicle|car|automobile|lorry} thefts that cost the {insurance|insurance coverage} {industry|market} billions of dollars each year nationwide in claim {payouts|payments} and investigative {costs|expenses}, and {give rise to|trigger|generate} {insurance|insurance coverage} {fraud|scams} and other {crimes|criminal offenses|criminal activities}.
{This message is not {new|brand-new}, {however|nevertheless}.|This message is not {new|brand-new}.} {Law enforcement agencies|Police} {across|throughout} the state {sending|sending out} {have|have actually} been {posting|publishing} to {social media|social networks} {encouraging|motivating} {residents|locals|citizens|homeowners} to follow the # 9PMRoutine of {locking doors and taking|taking and locking doors} in {valuables|belongings|prized possessions}. They {have|have actually} {sent out|sent} {numerous|various|many} {warnings|cautions} {via|through|by means of} {press release|news release} and {despite|in spite of|regardless of} that messaging {Patch|Spot} {has|has actually} {consistently|regularly} reported on these {incidents|events|occurrences} all over New Jersey:
{Concerns|Issues} about the criminal {domino effect|cause and effect} of {stolen|taken} {cars|vehicles|automobiles|cars and trucks} come at a time when {auto|car|automobile|vehicle} thefts in {general|basic} are trending downward in the state, {but|however} thefts of high-end {vehicles|cars|automobiles|lorries}— loosely {defined|specified} as less than {five|5} years’ old with {a sticker price|a price tag} of $50,000 and up, are {rising|increasing}, {officials|authorities} {said|stated}.
{Statistics|Stats|Data} {compiled|put together|assembled} by the New Jersey State {Police|Authorities|Cops} {show|reveal} that from January through September of 2020, {a total|an overall} of 7,131 {autos|cars|automobiles|vehicles} were reported {stolen|taken} statewide, 4.4 percent {fewer|less} than reported {during|throughout} the {same|exact same|very same} {period|duration} in 2019. {{However|Nevertheless}, high-end {auto|car|automobile|vehicle} thefts {climbed|climbed up} 7.5 percent to 1,501.
| High-end {auto|car|automobile|vehicle} thefts {climbed|climbed up} 7.5 percent to 1,501.
} It is {a trend|a pattern} being played out {across|throughout} the {country|nation}. According to the National {Insurance|Insurance Coverage} {Crime|Criminal Offense|Criminal Activity} Bureau (NICB) while {national|nationwide} {vehicle|car|automobile|lorry} thefts {have|have actually} {enjoyed|delighted in|taken pleasure in} {a steady|a stable|a consistent|a constant} {decline|decrease} for the last {three|3} years, the {number of|variety of} {vehicles|cars|automobiles|lorries} {stolen|taken} with {{keys|secrets} or fobs|fobs or {keys|secrets}} left {inside|within} {has|has actually} been increasing some 10 percent each year.
According to the National Highway Traffic {Safety|Security} Administration, {between|in between} 40 and {50 percent|half} of {vehicle|car|automobile|lorry} theft {is due to|is because of} {driver|chauffeur|motorist} {error|mistake}, {which includes|that includes} leaving {vehicle|car|automobile|lorry} doors {unlocked|opened} and leaving {keys|secrets} or fobs inside.
Reports from New Jersey {law enforcement agencies|police} put that {percentage|portion} even {higher|greater}.
While {{hard and fast|set}|{fast|quick} and {hard|difficult|tough}} {statistics|stats|data} are not {available|offered|readily available}, it is {estimated|approximated} that {nearly|almost} all high-end thefts in the state {involve|include} {vehicles|cars|automobiles|lorries} that were left running {unattended|ignored} or {unlocked|opened} with the {key|essential|crucial} fob inside.
“{Ironically|Paradoxically}, {car|vehicle|automobile|cars and truck} {thieves|burglars} are {stealing|taking} {vehicles|cars|automobiles|lorries} that are {equipped|geared up} with {advanced|sophisticated|innovative} anti-theft {technology|innovation}, {but|however} that {technology|innovation} is rendered {useless|worthless|ineffective} when owners {make the decision|decide} to leave {key|essential|crucial} fobs inside their {cars|vehicles|automobiles|cars and trucks}. This {careless|negligent|reckless} {behavior|habits} {encourages|motivates} {criminals|bad guys|crooks|lawbreakers|wrongdoers} to {look for|search for|try to find} {easy|simple} targets,” {said|stated} Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State {Police|Authorities|Cops}. “The {consequences|repercussions|effects} of {car|vehicle|automobile|cars and truck} theft are {multifaceted|diverse|complex}. Stolen {vehicles|cars|automobiles|lorries} are {often|frequently|typically} {used|utilized} in the commission of {crimes|criminal offenses|criminal activities}, and the {astronomical|huge} {costs|expenses} to {insurance companies|insurance provider|insurer} {affect|impact} the {insurance|insurance coverage} premiums of {policyholders|insurance policy holders}. {A vast|A large|A huge} {amount|quantity} of {car|vehicle|automobile|cars and truck} thefts can be {avoided|prevented} by {simply|just|merely} locking your {vehicles|cars|automobiles|lorries} and keeping fobs in a safe {location|place|area}.”
More than $6 billion was lost {nationwide|across the country} to {motor vehicle|automobile} thefts in 2019, {requiring|needing} {insurance companies|insurance provider|insurer} to {pay out|pay} {large sums|large amounts} of {money|cash}, {costs|expenses} they {pass on|hand down} to all of their policy holders.
“From the minute {a car|a vehicle|an automobile|a cars and truck} is reported {stolen|taken}, the meter {starts|begins} ticking for {insurance companies|insurance provider|insurer} whose {first|very first} {order of business|agenda} is to {conduct|carry out|perform} {an investigation|an examination} to {determine|identify|figure out} that the claim is {legitimate|genuine} and not {an attempt|an effort} to {illegally|unlawfully} {obtain|acquire|get} {a payout|a payment} through {fraud|scams},” {said|stated} {Acting|Performing} {Insurance|Insurance coverage} {Fraud|Scams} {Prosecutor|District Attorney} Thompson. “And any injuries or damages {a car|a vehicle|an automobile|a cars and truck} {thief|burglar} {causes|triggers} to {people|individuals} or {property|residential or commercial property|home} after {driving off|repeling} with your {stolen|taken} {car|vehicle|automobile|cars and truck} is {likely|most likely} to be borne by {insurance|insurance coverage} {providers|service providers|companies|suppliers}, which {translates|equates} to {higher|greater} premiums for you. That’s something to {consider|think about} {before|prior to} leaving your {car|vehicle|automobile|cars and truck} {unlocked|opened} and {vulnerable|susceptible} to {car|vehicle|automobile|cars and truck} {thieves|burglars}. Are you {willing to|ready to|happy to|going to} pay the {price|cost|rate}?”
The {impact|effect} of {vehicle|car|automobile|lorry} theft isn’t {just|simply} {measured|determined} in {dollars and cents|cents and dollars}, {officials|authorities} {said|stated}. {Once|When|As soon as} {considered|thought about} a low-level {property|residential or commercial property|home} {crime|criminal offense|criminal activity} by {law enforcement|police} departments {busy|hectic} {battling|fighting} more {serious|major|severe} public {threats|risks|dangers|hazards}, {auto|car|automobile|vehicle} theft is now being {viewed as|deemed|considered as} a contributing {factor in|consider} violent {crime|criminal offense|criminal activity} {nationwide|across the country}.
Stolen {vehicles|cars|automobiles|lorries} are {used|utilized} in the commission of {untold|unknown} {crimes|criminal offenses|criminal activities} of violence in our state each year, {but|however} their {involvement|participation} is {often|frequently|typically} relegated to a footnote in news {articles|short articles|posts}, or left unmentioned {altogether|entirely|completely}.
{{But|However} a growing {number of|variety of} {law enforcement agencies|police} {want to|wish to} {change|alter} that.
| A growing number of law enforcement {agencies|companies|firms} {want|desire} to {change|alter} that.
} To {further|even more} {combat|fight} this and other {issues|problems|concerns} {affecting|impacting} the {community|neighborhood}, a multi-agency {auto|car|automobile|vehicle} theft/anti-crime {task|job} force {has|has actually} been {launched|introduced|released} to {enhance|improve|boost} patrols and {further|additional|more} {investigations|examinations} of {auto|car|automobile|vehicle} theft and other pattern-type {crimes|criminal offenses|criminal activities}. This {initiative|effort}, {first|very first} {conceptualized|conceived} by Chief Andrew Caggiano of the Montville {Police|Authorities|Cops} Department, {has|has actually} {come about|happened} through {a partnership|a collaboration} {between|in between} the Morris County {Sheriff|Constable}’s {Office|Workplace}, the Morris County {Police|Authorities|Cops} Chiefs’ Association, the Morris County {Prosecutor|District attorney}’s {Office|Workplace} and the New Jersey State {Police|Authorities|Cops} {Auto|Car|Automobile|Vehicle} Theft {Task|Job} Force, in coordination with {various|different|numerous} law
enforcement {agencies|companies|firms}.
“In Montville, we are a geographically and {economically|financially} {convenient|practical|hassle-free} {location|place|area}. {As such, we are experiencing a scourge of {vehicle|car|automobile|lorry} thefts and {burglaries|break-ins|robberies|thefts},” Caggiano {said|stated}.|We are experiencing a scourge of {vehicle|car|automobile|lorry} thefts and {burglaries|break-ins|robberies|thefts},” Caggiano {said|stated}.} “I {realized|recognized|understood} that there is strength in the {combining|integrating} of our forces, and proposed the {Auto|Car|Automobile|Vehicle} Theft {Task|Job} Force.”
Chester {Police|Authorities|Cops} Chief Thomas Williver, who {serves as|functions as|works as|acts as} President of the Morris County {Police|Authorities|Cops} Chiefs’ Association, {agreed|concurred}.
“We {find|discover} that by {joining|signing up with} {agencies|companies|firms} and {supplying|providing} {personnel|workers} to {a task|a job} force, we can {create|produce|develop} {a situation|a circumstance|a scenario} of force {multiplication|reproduction},” {said|stated} Williver. “We support Chief Caggiano and all of the Morris County Chiefs whose jurisdictions are {affected|impacted} by this {dangerous|harmful|hazardous|unsafe} {crime|criminal offense|criminal activity} spree. This is intelligence-led policing and will {help|assist} all of our {communities|neighborhoods}.”
{A key|An essential|A crucial} {mission|objective} of the “Lock It or Lose It” {campaign|project} is to get New Jerseyans to {recognize|acknowledge} that {vehicle|car|automobile|lorry} theft is {a gateway|an entrance} {crime|criminal offense|criminal activity} to more {serious|major|severe} criminal activity. By locking their {cars|vehicles|automobiles|cars and trucks} and keeping the {key|essential|crucial} fobs with them at all times, New Jersey {residents|locals|citizens|homeowners} can {prevent|avoid} the next {crime|criminal offense|criminal activity} spree from {happening|occurring|taking place}, {reducing|decreasing|minimizing|lowering} the {risks|dangers|threats} to our {law enforcement|police} officers and {preventing|avoiding} the {unnecessary|unneeded} loss of innocent lives.
{Acting|Performing} {Insurance|Insurance Coverage} {Fraud|Scams} {Prosecutor|District attorney} Thompson {noted|kept in mind} that some {important|essential|crucial} cases {have|have actually} {started|begun} with {anonymous|confidential} {tips|suggestions|ideas|pointers}. {People|Individuals} who are {concerned|worried} about {insurance|insurance coverage} {cheating|unfaithful} and {have information|know} about {a fraud|a scams} can report it anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-877-55-FRAUD, or {visiting|going to|checking out} the {Website|Site} at www.njinsurancefraud.org. State {regulations|policies|guidelines} {permit|allow} {a reward|a benefit} to be paid to {an eligible|a qualified} {person|individual} who {provides|offers|supplies} {information|info|details} that {leads to|results in|causes} a conviction for {insurance|insurance coverage} {fraud|scams}.
The Morris County {Auto|Car|Automobile|Vehicle} Theft {Task|Job} Force can be {contacted|gotten in touch with|called} at 973-285-6300 or after hours at 973-285-2900.
The Mendham {Borough|District} {Police|Authorities|Cops} Department can be reached at 973-543-2527.
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