GLEN RIDGE, NJ — In 2021, Essex County led the state with 3,864 stolen cars, according to the Glen Ridge Police Department in a March 30 release. As of March 25, there have already been 951 stolen cars in the county with the number growing each and every day. While many people may believe that most of these crimes are occurring in major cities, they are wrong. In fact, most of these thefts are occurring in the suburbs of central and west Essex County. In total, 14,140 stolen cars were reported in New Jersey in 2021; many of them were used to commit other crimes throughout the state.
Residents are urged to take the following simple steps to secure their motor vehicles:
- Never leave the car running and unattended, even if you are just “running inside for a second.”
- Shut all windows, including sunroofs, prior to exiting your car.
- Always lock your car doors.
- Do not, under any circumstances, leave your keys inside your car.
- Do not leave the keys to one car inside another unlocked car parked in your driveway, even if it makes it easy to move cars around in the morning.
- Always remove valuables, such as cash, jewelry and electronics, from your car.
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