By Maura Grunlund
Staten Island Advance, N.Y.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Vehicle thefts have increased over 20% this year on Staten Island, and borough political leaders are raising red flags about NYPD staffing and laws that they believe favor criminals.
The number of cars stolen in the borough soared by triple-digit percentages in recent weeks based on statistics through April 19 on CompStat, the NYPD’s computerized system for tracking crimes.
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Borough President Vito Fossella said the surge reflects a need for more NYPD officers on the streets of Staten Island. Fossella and District Attorney Michael E. McMahon previously asked Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to increase staffing on the borough.
“It’s like a supply and demand,” Fossella said during an exclusive interview with the Advance/SILive.com on Thursday. “You need less bad guys and more good guys, which is why, all else being equal, we’re banging the drum for more police officers on Staten Island. That will help to address this problem.”
So far this year, thieves have snatched 71 vehicles compared to 58 in the same period last year, a 22% uptick in the category listed as grand larceny auto.
An uprise of nearly 164%, to 29 from 11 incidents, has been tallied over 28 days.
McMahon said in a statement that the four-week hike “is concerning and unacceptable.”
The escalation is even more dramatic for the week, surging 250%, with seven incidents compared to two last year, according to CompStat.
Where vehicle thefts are happening
The thefts are happening all over the borough, but are most prevalent on the North and East shores this year. Vehicle thefts have risen nearly 67% this year in the 120th Precinct based in St. George, to 25 from 15.
Thieves have been much less active in the 121st Precinct, based in Graniteville and encompassing parts of the North and West shores. A 10% reduction in car thefts, to 18 from 20, has been recorded this year.
An increase of 20%, to 18 from 15, has been tallied this year in the 122nd Precinct, which includes portions of the East and South shores.
The South Shore’s 123rd Precinct has seen a 25% uptick in such incidents, to 10 from eight reports.
Challenges to deterring car thefts
The borough president said his hope is that “we’ll get sort of a cavalry charge and we get additional personnel” in the next couple of months.
“We’re told that there’s a formula throughout the city and that’s how the determinations are being made,” said Fossella, adding, “that might be fine in other parts, but we have a duty and an obligation, especially when we see things like this, to say we need the help, we need the resources.”
Fossella maintains that the presence of police officers and marked patrol cars deters some criminals.
“If they know that a year ago there was going to be a cop car on Todt Hill Road or, pick a spot, they’re less likely to go there,” he said of the criminals. “But if you start taking those cars away and people away, there’s more of an avenue or chance that they can be successful in their thefts.”
McMahon said some of the factors emboldening car thieves are laws that raise the age of criminal responsibility to 18 and prevent judges from imposing bail on people accused of most misdemeanors and non-violent felonies.
“To be sure, changes in our laws such as ‘Raise the Age’ and so-called bail reform, and preventable circumstances like unlocked vehicles have made it more difficult to apprehend and hold these brazen lawbreakers accountable,” McMahon said.
But the culprits will not continue to get away with their crimes, he said.
“When caught, these criminals will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” McMahon said. “By combining smart policing with community cooperation, we will address and reverse this disturbing trend and continue to keep Staten Island the safest community of its size in the country.”
Task force
A task force to combat vehicle theft remains active, McMahon said. The task force is composed of members of the NYPD’s Robbery Squad, Larceny Squad, Grand Larceny Squad, Grand Larceny Auto Squad, and other specialized units — as well as regional partners across state lines, including the Port Authority Police, State Police of New York and New Jersey, and other federal agencies.
“Working in partnership with the NYPD and regional law enforcement agencies, we have made great progress in reducing the number of car thefts committed on Staten Island in recent years, recording double digit decreases in each of the past three years,” McMahon said. “From creating a vehicle theft task force with our law enforcement partners to securing license plate readers on each of our borough’s bridges to starting a campaign that reminds our fellow Staten Islanders to lock their cars, our multi-pronged approach has led to the arrest and prosecution of countless car thieves.”
McMahon, NYPD brass and local elected officials announced the creation of the task force in 2023.
The NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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