TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, N.J.—Residents here were targeted June 22 when two vehicles were stolen and more than 12 burglarized, police said. The crimes appear to reflect a trend around Bergen County’s affluent suburbs.
A suspect was seen on home surveillance video, police said in a statement.
“The Township Police Department Detective Bureau is currently investigating all incidents and would like any witnesses or anyone who has knowledge or information of other suspicious incidents similar in nature to contact the Township Police Department at (201) 664-1140,” they said.
One simple step residents can take to protect themselves and their possessions is to lock car doors and take their key fob inside at night.
“Township Police Department urges all residents to report any suspicious activity in a timely manner and lock all vehicles along with removing any valuables and key fobs,” they said.
Investigators have told Pascack Press that modern cars typically have a telltale sign if they’re unlocked: the side-view mirrors fold in when locked.
Security cameras are also useful, as are GPS tracking devices on cars, which can lead investigators directly to stolen vehicles, experts have told Pascack Press.
In a 2017 case that saw four Newark men indicted, the New Jersey Attorney General’s office described these crimes as “big business for these defendants,” saying defendants allegedly used certain spots to “cool off” vehicles, “parking them at a hotel in Elizabeth, for example, until they were sure they were not equipped with tracking devices that would lead law enforcement to them.”
In the 2017 case, state investigators said that once the perpetrators were sure the vehicle was not actively being tracked, it was taken to another location, typically in Irvington, to be shipped, or was fenced domestically.
Despite the 2017 arrests, local law enforcement around Bergen County and in nearby Westwood continue to report car thefts of cars with keys left inside.
