The police are upset with Staten Island car owners. Why? Because many tend to leave their keys in the ignition, giving a free ride to thieves.
Out of the 76 cars reported stolen for 2008, the NYPD says 24 of them had the keys in the ignition. And then another 10 vehicles were stolen because the keys were, per the Advance, in the "glovebox, on the ground of a parking lot or discovered inside a jacket left behind at a restaurant." Lieutenant John Peruffo said car thieves "are always around waiting for you to do it, to leave the keys in the car."
Here are some of the explanations the police get from vehicle owners: "I was just taking in groceries," "I was just warming up the car while I went back in the house to grab a coffee," and "I just ran into the deli for a bagel and cigarettes." Nice!
According to NYPD CompStat, auto thefts dropped 55% between 2001 (29,607)and 2007 (13,246). For 2008, through February 24, there have been 1,814 auto thefts in the city. And here are the NYPD's tips to prevent auto theft; the NYPD recommends vehicle owners join the Combat Auto Theft (C.A.T.) Program, where a decal is put on the car and the police are authorized to stop the car between 1AM and 5AM.
