Police say they are concerned about a rise in the theft of cars and other vehicles across New York City.
Lt. Daniel Gallagher of the NYPD auto crime unit joined NY1’s Dean Meminger Sunday to talk about the uptick and tips for car owners.
Gallagher said people leaving keys in their cars is a main reason for the increase in auto theft.
“Cars are, today, pretty much big moveable computers that you can’t really steal them without a key in the car. But unfortunately a third of the cars stolen in New York City, people leaving their keys in the car,” he said.
He warned car owners to not leave keys in their cars when warming up their vehicles or making a quick run into the store.
“Please don’t do that. It’s just right for criminals to come and steal your car,” he said.
Data show grand larceny overall was down by 26% in December 2022 compared with December 2021. However, grand larceny auto was up 34% in December 2022 compared with December 2021.
Gallagher said his unit is focused on advanced components of stealing cars, which is when thieves steal cars to ship them overseas or sell them online.
Police also warn that thieves can steal cars by duplicating key fobs.
“They’ll have that blank key they bought online, they can program it to your car and they’ll be able to drive it off,” he said.
