Community Engagement Highlights the Growing Auto Theft Crisis in New Jersey
photo courtesy of Village Manager Keith Kazmark
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood, NJ — Last week, Ridgewood Police Chief Forest Lyons joined the 40th District Legislative Team—Senator Kristin Corrado, Assemblyman Chris DePhillips, and Assemblyman Al Barlas—at a neighborhood meeting to address rising concerns about car thefts, bail reform, and overall public safety in the community. Organized by local residents, the forum provided an opportunity for open dialogue, community feedback, and transparency from law enforcement and elected officials.
This type of grassroots engagement reflects the growing frustration among residents across New Jersey, as car theft continues to be a pressing issue throughout the state. Ridgewood, like many communities, has seen an increase in vehicle thefts, particularly targeting Hyundai and Kia models due to a well-publicized security vulnerability.
Car Theft on the Rise in New Jersey
According to the New Jersey State Police, more than 3,000 vehicles have been reported stolen in the state in 2024 alone—an average of 36 cars per day. In 2023, that number soared above 16,000 stolen vehicles, alarming both law enforcement and local leaders.
Statewide Action in Response
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office is actively working to combat the surge in auto thefts. Key initiatives include:
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Stricter criminal penalties for repeat offenders
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Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) deployed for real-time tracking
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Expanded Auto Theft Task Force collaboration across multiple jurisdictions
These measures aim to disrupt organized theft rings and strengthen preventative measures in neighborhoods vulnerable to crime.
Community Collaboration Is Key
Events like the Ridgewood meeting demonstrate the power of civic involvement in influencing public policy and ensuring safety remains a top priority. Residents expressed gratitude to Chief Lyons and the LD40 Legislative Team for their willingness to address questions, provide updates, and listen to concerns about the impact of bail reform on local crime trends.
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You know what would help, let’s take our police force off of route 17 from doing speed traps, and utilize that time to patrol more secondary streets throughout the village. We are paying taxes for our police to patrol Ridgewood Rhodes. Not route 17, if we need police force on Route 17 a.k.a. State highway: Bergen County, or: the state. Thank you.
You know what would help?
Take your keys out of your car.
Charge juveniles as adults
The car theft ringleaders use juveniles knowing the courts will do nothing to them
Guess what if the professionals they don’t need your keys, with all the new electronic devices, a piece of cake. If they want it, they’re gonna get it doesn’t matter the car, the alarm system you have on that car take the battery out, they will take it in seconds. I want to do a survey to see how many vehicles are stolen from main roads to secondary roads to dead ends. Just curious. You could take the keys out of the car and put them in the garage, or put them in your kitchen hang it up. They can still pick up the transmission right through your walls. That’s why make sure you have your car insured. Don’t let anybody bullshit you. The Stone cars are not staying here in the United States to go overseas, I installed a Killswitch, it just slows them down that’s about it.
Know what would help?
NOT blackballing and firing police chiefs who state the truth about looking for folks who don’t belong in the town…………………..
And it was Christie’s boy and Murphy’s future AG who did that