This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Anyone can read what you share. When you shop for a new or used car, CoPilot helps you know more. That disturbing fact played out last weekend when a 15-year-old boy was caught in a stolen car May 9 and on May 8, three juveniles - a 16-year-old boy, a 15-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy -- were caught in a stolen car. 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The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Yet in the most recent case, the police said that Alquan Brown was killed after the car he was driving, with two passengers inside, was chased down by three officers in a patrol car from Orange. If you are reading this article, chances are you or even a loved one is facing criminal or serious motor vehicle charges in Newark, New Jersey. Warning Against Pursuit. But Brown, 30, finally sentenced in June to nearly 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to three of the four carjackings, appears to have less company on the streets these days. There have also been reports of hijacking rings in the city, which look to benefit financially from selling stolen vehicles. The citys crime rate is higher than the national average, a significant proportion of which is violent crime. That was where most of the vehicles stolen by a ring broken up last month by the New Jersey State Police and Division of Criminal Justice were being smuggled. No portions of this website may be reproduced, retransmitted, copied, or republished without expressed written consent from Shore News Media & Marketing, LLC. Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement John Morton speaks in Newark today. Theyre most often driven or towed to so-called chop shops where key components are harvested and sold to unscrupulous auto parts dealers and/or to unsuspecting consumers via the Internet. Know how and what you can negotiate. The situation is not as severe now but still remains a significant issue. An experienced defense lawyer can often mitigate these consequences by challenging the states case against you to secure a downgrade or even a dismissal altogether. The city is home to several major corporations and is a major US cultural centre. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Since its inception in 2015, the task force has continued to expand and is currently comprised of 16 members, six of which are Task Force Officers (TFOs) from six partnering agencies, including the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) and the Westfield, Warren, Bernards, Middletown, and Paramus police departments. On average, these 25 cities had 827 car thefts per 100,000 people, several times higher than the national rate of 228 . The top vehicles stolen statewide so far this year include Honda Accord, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Honda CR-V, BMW X5, and BMW 3-Series. NEWARK The two leaders of an auto theft ring targeting luxury vehicles have been sentenced to a combined 16 years in state prison. Overall, the FBIs preliminary stats indicate that car thefts decreased by 3.3 percent last year, and by a whopping 53 percent since they peaked in 2004. Thefts of high-end vehicles (newer vehicles with sticker prices of $50,000 and up) have risen dramatically over the past year. Jason and Midget are two young, black teenagers living in Newark,New Jersey, the unofficial car theft capital of the world. "Get the youth involved in more things with the police department so that we can try to get the crime rate back down again," said Marianne Brown with Newark Community Street Team. Although the families are still involved in criminal activities, they only account for a small amount of crime in the city. Our law firm defends clients in Newark who have been charged with serious traffic tickets includingDWI,Driving Without Insurance,Leaving the Scene of an Accident, andDriving While Suspended. From 2020 to 2021 alone, local police reported an increase of 29% in stolen vehicles. Officer Jest then drew his gun and fired one shot through the windshield. In general, Western states report higher rates of motor vehicle theft than those in the Northeast or Midwest. "They like the chase, especially if it's dangerous. Crime levels have fallen away since, but Newark crime levels remain significantly higher than the national average. The next night, a gold Mercedes ML350 stolen in North Arlington on Aug. 4 arrived. Our representatives are available 24/7 to answer your call. The Newark Municipal Court is located at 31 Green Street in Newark, New Jersey 07102. An experienced attorney can mean the difference between a dismissal or downgrade of your charges and a guilty verdict. You may opt-out by. Car thefts vary significantly on a geographic level. Thefts of high-end vehicles (newer vehicles with sticker prices of $50,000 and up) have risen dramatically over the past year. However, you can take steps make yourself less of an easy target for carjackers protect yourself and your vehicle from carjackers. The Orange Police Department referred all calls regarding both the incident and car theft in general to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office could not be reached for comment. While auto thieves are continuously evolving and adapting their techniques, we too are committed to adapting our approach and collaborating with all of our law enforcement partners to investigate and aggressively prosecute these crimes., Auto thefts have been increasing substantially throughout the State in recent months, and have a ripple effect on other, violent crimes in which stolen cars are frequently used, saidBurlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina, President of the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey. Only the 150 largest U.S. cities were included in the analysis. Learn about the company, mission, and why we exist. Bulletproof windows, steel doors, and other security systems will help ensure your attackers are unable to harm you or your passengers. Crime levels have fallen away since, but Newark crime levels remain significantly higher than the national average. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Many of the cars, which were shipped to waiting buyers in West Africa, were taken from car dealer lots or service departments. This often involves turning to crime, including carjacking. We build and sell around the world. There was the grey Audi A6 taken at gunpoint in Newark. The Newark Auto . Did you get your Tesla Model 3 bulletproofed? The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. When you're ready to buy your next car, CoPilot helps you make sure you never get taken advantage of at the dealership. Regardless, carjacking levels still remain high in the city, and residents and visitors are advised to be particularly vigilant in certain areas. Perhaps the most successful joint agency effort has been the Essex-Union Auto Theft Task Force, formed in December 1991. To combat theft, remember common sense steps such as rolling up your windows, locking your car and parking in well-lit areas. 5 Reasons Why You Should Get an Armored Car, Car Profiles: Bulletproofing a 2021 Cadillac Escalade. All Rights Reserved | Export Compliance Program, Podcast: Conversations in Close Protection. Mayor Sharpe James then issued an angry call for the "harshest penalties possible" for the thieves. She allegedly bought stolen and carjacked vehicles from street gang members and others, had the vehicles retagged with new VIN numbers the unique serial number used by the automotive industry to identify individual motor vehicles and arranged to have them shipped overseas or sold them to individuals, who would make their own shipping arrangements. 321 Comments. The Caesar case led to a number of changes in laws involving car theft, as well as reminders from the State Attorney General's office that officers should not chase stolen cars under most circumstances. Newark's car-theft problem received national attention in June 1992. This year, auto thefts are up 31% and the states revolving door of justice and the handcuffing of local police departments are leading to more brazen thefts. In 2021, the city saw 281 reported carjackings, up from 105 in 2018. Such motor vehicles are not impenetrable, so its still wise to take necessary precautions. "Our criteria is even stricter than those issued by the Attorney General," Lieutenant DeCastro said. The number of cars being stolen in New Jersey, meanwhile, has been on a sharp decline because of anti-theft devices that make it all but impossible to steal a new car without an electronically linked key--making keys and electronic fobs increasingly the primary focus of car thieves these days. The public has to realize this is a very real and very dangerous problem that has implications far beyond the initial theft of a vehicle and carries into the realm of violent crime. New York City is another city that is strongly associated with crime. In the case on Tuesday, police recovered a stolen Dodge Charger in the back of a Newark home with a couple of 15-year-olds inside. North Jersey is the car theft capital of the world, with more cars stolen in Newark then any other city. After all, the city was home to one of the worlds most famous gangsters Al Capone. All the cars were destined for shipment overseas. Although its home to some of the wealthiest people on earth, its also seen a significant spike in crime over recent years. In June, Gov. Carjacking in South Africa is known as hijacking, and its a serious problem for the country. More often than not, the NICB said the theft of a new car now is the result of someone leaving the keys in the vehicle, or leaving it running unattended. (The name of the youth, whose injuries are not life-threatening, has not been released.) So-called "chop shops" where car thieves once took hot wheels to be stripped for parts are harder to find, he noted. Taking the vehicle identification numbers of wrecked cars and "retagging" stolen vehicles with those numbers to change its identity still occurs, he said, but not as often anymore. Here's how the NICB ranks the nation's 10 largest cities in terms of car thefts per resident, with the total stolen during 2018 noted: 38. In Newark, which still remains the stolen car capital of New Jersey, motor vehicle theft through the first nine months of 2015 through September dropped by more than 16 percent over the. to keep up with the latest New Jersey news, sports, entertainment and more. Regardless, weve used the available data to bring you this list of cities that experience the most carjackings. On average, these 25 cities had 827 car thefts per 100,000 people, several times higher than the national rate of 228 per 100,000, and averaged nearly 4,000 cars stolen annually. Federal authorities said Wednesday they put the brakes on the international car smuggling operation, charging 19 people from New Jersey, New York, and Kansas in an elaborate scheme that retagged and exported hot cars with bogus papers to various destinations in West Africa. Los Angeles, California: 53,928 66. The car -- identified as stolen when a task-force officer who saw it punched its license number into a computer -- was trapped. Modesto is a relatively small town compared to the rest of this list, but it certainly sees a lions share of crime in the region. The youth in the front passenger seat fled and was being sought, police said. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. However, there are still high levels of property crime and violent crime. Today, Newark has become an epicenter for crime earning itself the nickname "Car Theft Capital of the World" and is also inundated with violent crimes such as aggravated assault and drug distribution of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. "People who want to steal cars are evolving in their methodology," Honig said. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. At its center, authorities said, was a Brooklyn woman with lots of contacts in that part of the world; a fence for stolen property known as "the Lady.". And last Wednesday in Belleville, near Newark, the police fired at a stolen car when the 16-year-old driver tried to ram a police cruiser. In the CorrStat region, thefts of high-end motor vehicles increased 127 percent from . Detroit is the largest city in the US state of Michigan, with a population of around 4.4 million people. Thats because stealing a car is not considered a violent crime and most car thieves will be granted pre-trial released under New Jerseys bail reform laws. Najai Diggs, 37, of Newark was the first member of the ring to accept a plea deal. Ring that stole cars worth $6 million and shipped them to Africa is busted in Newark, 6 from Hudson County arrested, 2 still at large as international auto theft operation shut down; 19 charged, Union County officials arrest 10 in connection with luxury car theft ring. The cars had a fair market value of $149,000. Car washes, for example, offer an opportunity when a vehicle comes out for its final wipe-down and left unguarded for a few moments with its key or fob inside. All Rights Reserved. While the same family still operates in Chicago, they are not nearly as powerful as they used to be and are less involved in violent crimes. NEWARK The two leaders of an auto theft ring targeting luxury vehicles have been sentenced to a combined 16 years in state prison. See the latest work that Armormax has done and been a part of and learn about the latest builds. Violent crime rate: 1,117 per 100k people. On the other hand, sleepy St Joseph, Missouri, with a fraction of L.A.s citizenry, is ranked at number 10 with a mere 938 vehicles stolen. In Essex, where most of the carjackings in New Jersey are reported, the number of carjackings and attemped carjackings went from 478 in 2013 to 234 in 2014. "Once they get up to 25 either they find something else to do or they're in prison.". Authorities have managed to decrease the crime rates since, but still, New Orleans has a homicide rate significantly higher than the national average. Two glum young joy riders looked out. "Clearly when you see Range Rovers being taken, it's pretty clear where those cars are going," said Wayne Fisher, a professor of criminal justice at Rutgers University and former deputy director of the Division of Criminal Justice. Philadelphia has a problem with auto theft and carjacking, with an increase in reported cases of car thieves in recent years. An estimated four million people living in Manila live in slums where they stay in terrible conditions. Shop and buy your next car with confidence. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Carjacking incidents, while relatively small in numbers statewide, had been climbing with the introduction of keyless entry systems, but recently have been on the wane as well. One youth, in the back seat, was arrested. While one might think the nations biggest burgs like New York City or Chicago might suffer the highest auto theft rates, and in fact they do register a greater number of car crimes, overall. Detroit has, in the past, held the title for the highest number of carjackings in the United States. Officer Young then fired two shots at the driver. Unless otherwise stated, photos Big Stock Photography Dreamstime Photos Google Maps Thompson Reuters. In one afternoon incident in September 2014, a man told police he was sitting in his black Mercedes S550 in the parking lot at Jersey Gardens shopping mall in Elizabeth when a black car pulled up behind his vehicle. Newark's car-theft problem received national attention in June 1992. "Cars you once could start with a screwdriver you can't take anymore.". The city is best known among many people for its association with the motor industry and is home to General Motors, one of the largest automotive manufacturing companies on the planet. More than 200 vehicles with an estimated retail value of $6 million were recovered. In a sense, carjacking is much like a mugging in that the car is taken from its owner by force. 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