Murphy blames housing insecurity for statewide increase in grand theft auto

TRENTON – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is going to tackle housing insecurity as one of the steps being taken to reduce a statewide increase in grand theft auto.

Murphy unveiled his new plan to crack down on car thefts this week which also includes pre-trial monitoring for car thieves set free under New Jersey’s bail reform act and providing more resources to strengthen mental and substance abuse programs.

Additionally, the governor announced the goal of establishing a repeat offender statute that would allow prosecutors to seek more serious crimes for repeat offenders.

Aside from those measures, the governor offered words of advice to New Jersey residents under siege from organized car theft enterprises.

Lock your doors and park your car in a garage.

“We also ask that our residents take additional measures to protect themselves from auto theft. If you cannot park your car in a closed and locked garage, make sure that your vehicle is locked and that the key fob is with you,” Murphy said.

In many cases, brazen burglars simply break into homes and rummage for key fobs, such as one recent case caught on video in Toms River where thieves broke into the home and searched kitchen drawers until they found what they were looking for.

Here are the measures being proposed by the governor:

Establishing a persistent auto theft offender statute, which would give state and local prosecutors the option to seek more serious criminal consequences for those who have been repeatedly found guilty of stealing cars.
Making possession and distribution of certain auto theft tools a crime.
Imposing criminal penalties for the failure to comply with certain guidelines in the sale and purchase of catalytic converters.
Investing in enhanced pretrial services, which will reduce the risk from individuals who are awaiting trial. This will include:
1. Pretrial monitoring by law enforcement.
2. Expansion of the use of house arrest paired with location monitoring.
3. Providing additional resources related to substance abuse, mental health, and housing insecurity.

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