You are reading

Vehicle Thefts Spike in Northern Queens: NYPD

(Bastian Pudill, Unsplash)

July 29, 2020, By Michael Dorgan 

Vehicle thefts are on the rise in northern Queens and drivers are making it easy for criminals.

The number of reported vehicle thefts in the eight precincts that make up Queens North has jumped by 32 percent this year, according to official police data. Queens North consists of the 104th, 108th 109th, 110th, 111th, 112th, and 114th and 115th precincts.

There were 513 cases of Grand Larceny Auto reported in Queens North from Jan. 1 through July 19, compared to 388 for the same period last year, according to NYPD data. GLA is the theft of a vehicle, including cars, motorcycles and trucks.

NYPD

The statistics match a citywide spike in vehicle thefts. For example, there were 3,988 cases of GLA reported in the city from Jan. 1 through July 19 compared to 2,494 for the same period last year, according to NYPD data.

A large portion of car thefts across the city, 40 percent, occurred after drivers left their keys in the ignition or left their cars running, according to a tweet put out by the 108th precinct Monday.

The 108th precinct said that 93 vehicles were stolen in Queens North in the past month, 30 of which occurred after drivers left keys in their cars.

Cops are appealing to drivers to be vigilant and take precautions when they leave their vehicles unattended. The NYPD has asked drivers to make sure that they turn off their vehicle’s engine, remove the keys and make sure that all doors are locked.

The increase in vehicle thefts mirrors burglary trends in Queens North which are up 42.5 percent this year, according to NYPD data.

There were 928 burglaries reported in the district from Jan. 1 through July 19 compared to 651 for the same period last year.

Felony assaults are up by 3.6 percent for the same period this year in Queens North while robberies are up by 6.7 percent. There have been 18 murders this year compared to 17 for the same period last year.

However, rape cases for the district are down by 35.7 percent while grand larceny is down by 17.5 percent for the year.

(Crime Stats, NYPD)

email the author: news@queenspost.com

2 Comments

Click for Comments 
The truth hurts .

Careless drivers , must be the same distracted drivers that causes accidents.

1
1
Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Twenty people indicted in Queens-based $4.6M vehicle theft ring after three-year probe: DA

Twenty individuals were indicted and variously charged in a wide-ranging scheme to steal cars in Queens, throughout New York City and its suburbs, following a three-year investigation by the Queens District Attorney’s Office, the NYPD, and the New York State Police dubbed “Operation Hellcat,” into the criminal enterprise based in Queens.

Some of the vehicles were stolen from owners’ driveways, some with the keys or key fobs inside. The stolen vehicles were often sold through advertisements on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The defendants are charged in nine separate indictments for a total of 373 counts, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Thursday.

Masked gunman robs Total Wireless store in Flushing, steals $6K: NYPD

Police from the 109th Precinct in Flushing are looking for a masked gunman who pulled off an armed robbery at a cell phone store on the night of Monday, May 5.

The suspect entered the Total Wireless shop located in the old Hua Cheng Restaurant at 41-19 Kissena Blvd., across the street from the Queens Public Library branch, just before 7 p.m. He approached the counter, pulled out a firearm, and threatened the 27-year-old woman who was working the night shift, police said Wednesday.