Increased Penalties For Car Thefts Supported By Chatham Officials

CHATHAM, NJ — The Chatham Borough Council will consider a new proclamation in support of bipartisan legislation that strengthens penalties for those who steal or receive vehicles, as well as those who recruit minors to do so.

Sens. Richard Codey (D-27) and Anthony Bucco (D-25) held a news conference earlier this year to introduce bipartisan legislation that they say will give law enforcement new tools to combat "an epidemic of car thefts, often organized by gangs that prey on at-risk juveniles."

Car theft rings are not new, but current trends in New Jersey outpace national numbers, and the use of juveniles to avoid imprisonment has increased by more than 20 percent in recent years, according to officials.

"It has reached a crisis point. We are on track to probably exceed 17,000 vehicle thefts this year. Last year we had 14,000. They are increasing year over year at 20 percent or more thefts and this is not a suburban issue it's not an urban issue, it is happening all over the state," State Senator Anthony Bucco said.

Chatham Borough officials plan to review and discuss a possible resolution opposing the state's new restrictions, possibly drawing inspiration from neighboring towns such as Madison Borough, which recently passed its own resolution.

According to Bucco, it is up to lawmakers to take corrective action in order to provide law enforcement with the tools they need when suspects are arrested. "The legislation that Senator Cody and I worked on and ultimately filed would do just that."

The legislation focused on juveniles because, according to Bucco, gangs and car theft enterprises were going to these juveniles and recruiting them to steal the car because they discovered there was no consequence for a first or second offense.

He compared it to the drug epidemic, claiming that if juvenile car theft penalties remain lax, they will be drawn back into what could be a life of crime.

According to the proposed legislation, any juvenile convicted of car theft will receive 60 days of community service for the first offense and 60 days of detention for the second offense.

Chatham Borough police have been working to reduce the odds in the borough as communities throughout Morris County and New Jersey have seen an increase in vehicle thefts in recent months.

Chatham accounted for approximately 24 percent of all stolen cars in Morris County at the beginning of 2022, according to a report released by members of the Chatham Borough Police Department, but that figure has since dropped to 8.14 percent.

"Thank you to all for heeding the warnings and locking doors, removing keys/valuable, and closing garage doors (regardless of the time of day). Your efforts are working & we appreciate the partnership and support," police said.

Members of the Chatham Borough Council intend to discuss this issue at the Oct. 11 Council Meeting, which is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. Click here to view the full agenda, including a sample resolution.