The loss of a car can be costly and upsetting, but your safety is of paramount importance. And in a separate federal case brought by the U.S. Attorney's office, Hope K. Kantete, 44, of Brooklyn, was sentenced last year to nearly 22 years in prison for her role inanother ring responsible for shipping dozens of stolen and carjacked luxury cars and sports utility vehicles valued at more than $2.5 million from New Jersey to Africa. Jason and Midget are two young, black teenagers living in Newark,New Jersey, the unofficial car theft capital of the world. The black market commerce that once drove car theft has dried up as well, Ambrose said. The assailant got in and drove off, taking the victim's car keys, iPhone, iPad, wallet and numerous credit cards. 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The ring worked to make the shipment appear lawful at all stages, said John Morton, director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Garmin DriveCam 76 Review: Finally, A GPS Device With A Built-In Dash Camera, UVEye Provides Automotive MRI For Car Service Customers, Dealers, Review: 2023 Nissan Leaf Remains A Great Inexpensive Electric, Look! 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 others remain at large. All three were sent through an international shipping company on Sept. 12. Crime in the U.S. has trended downward since the early 1990s, and new data from the University of Pennsylvania suggests that COVID-19 has caused these numbers to drop even further across the nations largest cities. "Grab them all. With the two officers halfway in the car, Alquan Brown put it into drive. 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. Despite sharp decreases in overall crime this year, car thefts rose dramatically in certain cities. 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. In some cases, motor vehicle thefts are carried out by very young criminals, with children as young as ten years old being caught carrying out the crime, often to boast to their friends. A series of transactions in August 2011, recorded by an informant working with law enforcement, was typical. We represent clients in Newark who have been charged or arrested forNorth Bergen Simple Assault Lawyer,Theft by Deception,Possession of Marijuana,Resisting Arrest,Burglary,TrespassingandRobbery. to keep up with the latest New Jersey news, sports, entertainment and more. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. California led the list with 19,597. Shop and buy your next car with confidence. The NICB said nearly 7 percent of all vehicles reported stolen in 2014 had keys in them--44,828 cars and trucks. North Jersey is the car theft capital of the world, with more cars stolen in Newark then any other city. 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. The cars had a fair market value of $149,000. Indeed, it was in Detroit where the term carjacking was born. "Our criteria is even stricter than those issued by the Attorney General," Lieutenant DeCastro said. However, Philadelphia also has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, and high unemployment rates typically go hand in hand with high theft rates. In other cases passengers or bystanders have been hit by stolen vehicles. NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- New Jersey's biggest city is facing a growing problem of car thefts and more and more young people are being found behind the wheel of the stolen cars. Its not a place where manufacturers are likely to set up showrooms, so the demand for black market wheels is high, they say. "One is on the deck," she said, according to transcripts of the recorded call. Officer Young then fired two shots at the driver. Would you like to know more than the salesperson? New York City is another city that is strongly associated with crime. Weve factored in reliability, affordability, and functionality to create this curated list of the 8 best used minivans on the market today. Instead, the vehicles may be used to carry out other crimes or just for joyriding. "They are robbing valets as well," he said, noting that the target now begins with the key. Philadelphias crime rates are contributed to significantly by organized crime in the city, including organized crime families and various gangs. Despite its economic centres, Johannesburg is a city where a large percentage of the population is poor. The next night, a gold Mercedes ML350 stolen in North Arlington on Aug. 4 arrived. At our law firm, our attorneys make it a point to challenge the state at every turn to protect our clients rights and keep you well-informed throughout the entire process so you know exactly what is going on. Cities were ranked according to their motor vehicle theft rate per 100,000 people, averaged over the years 2017, 2018, and 2019. "If people leave their keys in the car or otherwise make it easy for thieves, then all bets are off. Car thefts vary significantly on a geographic level. Researchers also calculated the average annual number of motor vehicle thefts, the overall property theft rate, and the violent crime rate over the same three-year time period. Just over two weeks ago, a 3-year-old girl was struck and critically injured by a stolen car plowing through a busy Newark intersection. To address the growing number of motor vehicle thefts, the New Jersey State Police established the Auto Theft Task Force. Unless otherwise stated, photos Big Stock Photography Dreamstime Photos Google Maps Thompson Reuters. Lieut. Crime levels have fallen away since, but Newark crime levels remain significantly higher than the national average. Learn about the company, mission, and why we exist. On Avon Avenue, fresh, doughnut-shaped tire tracks are visible even late at night. Officer Jest then drew his gun and fired one shot through the windshield. The municipal court handles criminal charges including all disorderly persons offenses and petty disorderly persons offenses as well as traffic violations and municipal ordinances. All Rights Reserved. They also know that if they are caught stealing a car, they will be out of jail before the arresting police officer finishes filing the paperwork. Approximately 90 stolen vehicles worth more than $4 million taken by the ring were later recovered. About half of car thieves are juveniles, and the rest are usually 18 to 25, Captain Fanning said. 'Shooting Fish in a Barrel', For Newark's auto squad, catching auto thieves is routine, Captain Fanning said: "It's like shooting fish in a barrel. Much of its work is done by officers in unmarked vehicles stealthily cruising Newark's most desolate neighborhoods, where young car thieves congregate to drag race and do "doughnuts" -- 360-degree spins that leave circular tire tracks. That extra time will literally help to save lives in some cases, in addition to preventing your vehicle from being stolen. Every category of criminal activity, from car thefts to violent crimes, has risen across the bay area. Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story. 321 Comments. "Its relatively easier to get the cars into those countries because of problems with corruption in their ports," Childers said. The city is an economic powerhouse for South Africa, and the overall economy has been improving since the citys wild mining days. The technological resources at our disposal have allowed us to identify key trends and target offenders but to avoid becoming a statistic yourself, secure your vehicle and take the key or key fob with you., Auto theft is a growing factor in violent crime across New Jersey, saidDirector Lyndsay V. Ruotolo of the Division of Criminal Justice. Perhaps ironically, considering the citys history with the automotive industry, carjacking is a problem in the city. Wichita, Kansas. Nightly after 3 A.M., handfuls of drag racers compete along the infamous strips of Avon and Central Avenues in Newark. A 17-year-old, Howard Caesar, was shot and wounded as he fled from a stolen car in what prosecutors said was an apparent police ambush. 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.". In 2014 11,221 hijackings were reported, and the severity of the situation means it has found its way in literature. Up In The Air! In the CorrStat region, thefts of high-end motor vehicles increased 127 percent from January 31, 2021 to January 31, 2022. Newark's car-theft problem received national attention in June 1992. Which Years Of Used Toyota Tundras Are Most Reliable? Johannesburg is a South African city with a population of approximately 5.6 million people. The city is relatively young, having been founded in 1886, and has seen very rapid growth since. Last year the State Police reported 3,075 arrests involving receiving stolen property; most auto theft cases in New Jersey are charged as receiving stolen property. The NICB reports that 229,339 vehicles were taken from 2016-2018 simply because their owners either left the keys in the ignition or had the keyless-entry key fob sitting in a bin or cup holder while parked. And they say they are making a difference. On Saturday night, a 15-year-old Irvington boy, Alquan Brown, was driving a stolen Oldsmobile in East Orange when he was shot to death by the police in a scuffle after the car crashed. Motor vehicle theft rate: 705 per 100k people; Average annual motor vehicle thefts: 1,983; Overall property theft rate: 2,024 per 100k people . New Orleans, Louisiana, is a city of approximately 1.2 million people. Its rate of car thefts sits at about 573 per 100k residents. Such motor vehicles are not impenetrable, so its still wise to take necessary precautions. Harsher Sentences for Youths. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). "People who want to steal cars are evolving in their methodology," Honig said. New Jersey Drive is a 1995 film about black youths in Newark, New Jersey, the unofficial "car theft capital of the world | dG1fNndFTTlLWWdNeDQ. Jason and Midget are two young, black teenagers living in Newark,New Jersey, the unofficial car theft capital of the world. Carjacking in South Africa is known as hijacking, and its a serious problem for the country. You may opt-out by. Kantete was charged with three counts of transporting stolen vehicles and one count of conspiracy to transport stolen vehicles. For additional court information regarding your court date please contact the court at 973-733-6520. "You know we don't need to entice the juveniles into crime any more than necessary.". To determine the car theft capitals of the U.S., researchers at CoPilot analyzed the last three years of crime data from the FBI. A Complete Breakdown, Are Mazdas Reliable? 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Nearly a dozen people have been arrested in a Newark-based theft ring that stole $300,000 worth of luxury cars from northern . Only the 150 largest U.S. cities were included in the analysis. Site by Consultwebs: Criminal Defense Lawyer Marketing, Copyright 2023 William Proetta Criminal Law - All Rights Reserved. While the number of hijacking incidents fell, it rose again in 2010, with the authorities blaming it mostly on young men who stole the vehicles for fun. Kantete, say prosecutors, arranged for legitimate-looking paperwork, shipping manifests and VIN numbers for the three cars, which were subsequently shipped to Tin Can Island, a port in the city of Lagos, Nigeria. An estimated four million people living in Manila live in slums where they stay in terrible conditions. Thomas DeCastro, commander of the task force, said that car theft in Newark and the surrounding area is down by 20 percent to 35 percent this year compared with 1992. 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