Car Thefts Have Become A “World Epidemic”

It looks like the U.S.’s sole export is no longer just dollars and inflation…we’re also exporting the products of our rising crime rate.   

A new report last week says that stolen vehicles have become a “world epidemic” and that there is a rising number of stolen vehicles at east coast ports, according to CBS. 

The number of cars seized at the Port of Newark is on the rise, according to CBS News New York’s Derick Waller.

Jeffrey Greene, acting director at the Port of New York and Newark, oversees customs officials using x-rays to inspect containers and seize stolen cars. In one case, two junk vehicles concealed a pristine Mercedes, while another container held a stolen Chevy Silverado.

So far this year, they’ve seized 331 vehicles, on pace to surpass last year’s total. Investigators say West African markets, especially Nigeria, offer the highest prices. Social media videos show luxury SUVs being unloaded from containers, sometimes still sporting American license plates.

Greene commented: “So last year, the Port of New York-Newark here, we led the country in seized vehicles … We had 368 vehicles. That’s more than a car a day.”

The CBS report says young people are often recruited for car thefts, according to Homeland Security Special Agent William Walker, who leads an auto crime task force.

In one case, thieves in Totowa stole a luxury SUV by entering through an unlocked kitchen window to grab the key fob. Laura, a Morris County resident, tried storing her BMW keys in a “Faraday cage” to block devices used by thieves. Despite this, her SUV was stolen after thieves broke into her home through a locked window. 

Car thefts have surged in Newark, up 99% from 2022 to 2023. Montville Police Chief Andrew Caggiano is advocating for changes to New Jersey’s bail reform law, arguing that repeat offenders are frequently released, according to the report. 

“You can usually drive around at leisure with that plate on. No one will ever question you. It’s a world epidemic ... And it’s because the organized criminals, they’re probably laughing at us, actually, because they’re not only making lots of money, but they don’t have to, actually have to do much work,” former police officer Dr. Ken German said.