Vehicle Burglary Attempts Prompt Warning From Morris Township Police

MORRIS TOWNSHIP, NJ — As the number of attempted vehicle thefts in and around Morris Township has recently increased, the Morris Township Police Department would like to remind all residents to be cautious when leaving their cars parked.

Residents are advised to always lock their doors and remove all personal items from their vehicles, including key fobs and garage door openers, when parking outside their homes.

"We have had some incidents in Morris Township and in neighboring towns where suspects have been reported attempting to gain entry to vehicles by pulling on the door handle," police said.

According to police, when the vehicle was locked, the suspects have fled the scene. Unlocked vehicles, on the other hand, have been rummaged through, and the vehicle or items contained within have occasionally been stolen.

Vehicle crime and home burglaries have been a cause of concern for many municipalities throughout Morris County, and the state of New Jersey.

State officials have been attempting to crack down on ringleaders, citing an alarming increase in stolen vehicles perpetrated by auto theft rings that recruit children and teenagers to assist in their heists.

Gov. Phil Murphy recently offered new proposals to combat auto thefts in New Jersey, including establishing a persistent auto theft offender statute.

The statute would allow state and local prosecutors to seek more serious criminal penalties for those who have been found guilty of car theft on multiple occasions.

According to Murphy, the state has been making some progress in preventing car thefts. Auto thefts fell 12% in September compared to September 2021 and 12% in October compared to the same time last year.

Catalytic converter theft is also a persistent problem in New Jersey and throughout the country.

According to police, thieves are able to remove the catalytic converter from a vehicle in minutes, and they target large gas engine vehicles such as work trucks, recreational vehicles, box trucks and vans.

Catalytic converters, which are part of the vehicle's emissions system, are targeted for theft because they use precious metals — platinum, palladium, or rhodium — to convert harmful gases in the emissions to steam and carbon dioxide, according to Carfax.com.