Marlboro Provides Steering Wheel Lock To Counter Car Thefts

MARLBORO, NJ — "Join the Club" is the latest addition to the Marlboro Township Vehicle Theft Prevention Initiatives, Mayor Jonathan Hornik and Police Chief Peter Pezzullo have announced.

The Club steering wheel lock will be made available to Marlboro residents at no charge, maximum two per household, via a link on the township website, they said.

The Join the Club initiative is a partnership with the New jersey Auto Theft Task Force. The Club was purchased using forfeiture funds and are provided at no cost to the taxpayers, Hornik's office said.

When residents go to the website link, they can sign up and the Club will be delivered to them by a Marlboro officer - and they will also get a Pledge lawn sign, while supplies last. The locks are physically stored in town.

“We have announced more initiatives than any other town to stop vehicle theft and it is working," said Hornik.

He said Marlboro had no vehicle thefts during the months of August and September and thefts are down 32 percent compared to the same period last year.

“The thieves may be going to neighboring towns, but my concern is Marlboro and we’re going to continue to put more resources into driving this element out of our town,” he said.

And Pezzullo noted that cooperation with residents in key in controlling car thefts:

“Communication with our residents has been an integral part of our Vehicle Task Force Initiatives. The Club steering wheel lock and an ‘I took the Pledge’ lawn sign go a long way to visibly letting criminals know to move on,” he said.

The club program follows the Hybrid CompStat technology announced late this summer, which combined more police officers on the overnights with both stationary and roving non-police personnel at strategic locations and times throughout town, he noted.

Hornik’s "See Something. Say Something. We Will Do Something." initiative was launched in Marlboro in 2018 in response to school shootings throughout the country.

In March, 2022 this program was expanded to include home and vehicle safety due to the uptick of vehicle thefts.

The Club will be an additional, visible, deterrent to vehicle thefts, he said.

He said that "virtually every car stolen has had access to the key fob, and an unlocked car allows access to your garage door opener. The Club steering wheel lock makes it impossible to drive the car and is a back-up to locking your door and taking the key fob inside. Residents are asked to keep vehicle keys in a non-visible location in your home."

"While the incidents have gone down year over year, we are not resting until all vehicle thefts are eliminated. We remain vigilant in our efforts to keep our families and neighborhoods secure, and the hard work is making a difference,” Hornik said both of efforts by the township and residents.

Marlboro's safety initiative Tool Kit is linked at the top of the township website at www.marlboro-nj.gov.

Join the Club/Pledge Portal can be found on the homepage of the township website under "Quick Links and Actions."