Is this too little too late?
Car theft has been a growing concern in many communities over the past few years. We constantly run into the attitude covid and the lockdowns created the problem, a claim which unravels when you look at car theft data nationwide over the past several years. While we can debate what the cause is, the fact is many cities are awash in the problem with no end in sight. That’s why one Marlboro, New Jersey has decided to impose stiffer penalties on car thefts as they continue spiraling out of control.
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Mayor Jonathan Hornick says the gloves are coming off in Marlboro when it comes to throwing all the township can at car thieves. While a report from ABC7NY didn’t get into details, it does mention fees for car theft will increase starting on December 15. This sounds like the kind of move which could and probably should spread to more municipalities.
According to ABC7NY, the mayor of Marlboro claims 45 cars were stolen in the town and 31 arrests were made this year alone. To give you some perspective, in the 2010 Census the township had a population of just over 40,000, so those numbers are pretty steep considering.
Adding fuel to the fire, in early November a man was killed by a suspect fleeing police in a stolen car. The community has been outraged by that injustice, thankfully blaming the suspect instead of police who were trying to stop him.
"The people to blame here are the criminals. They're the ones who did this. We need to do something, not prevent police from doing their job," said Mayor Hornick.
That local report also points out that New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin has given the green light for police to pursue car thieves after that practice was banned in the wake of anti-police protests.
Source: ABC7NY
Photo via Marlboro Township Police Department
