Summit Car Thefts: Residents Beg Police To Do More At Meeting

SUMMIT, NJ — Summit Mayor Nora Radest and acting police Chief Steven Zagorski on Tuesday stressed the importance of locking vehicles in order to prevent car thefts in the township.

Many residents expressed their dissatisfaction about crime at Tuesday's Summit Common Council and accused leaders of victim-blaming.

Residents complained about increased vehicle thefts in Summit during the public comment section of the meeting, which was well attended by community members.

Radest said at the start of the meeting that motor vehicle theft is a statewide issue and that the majority of thefts occur when a vehicle is unlocked with a key fob left inside.

"In the last five years, 98 percent of the car thefts in Summit were unlocked with the key fobs accessible," Radest said. "By doing so, we have succeeded in making our city a ready target for this organized crime."

Beyond checking unlocked cars, a few residents said criminals have been seen on video trying to open doors of private homes in the neighborhood.

Tim Swope, a resident on Hobart Avenue in Summit, said he had video of people coming onto his private property and trying to open the door to his home. Swope said there needs to be more pro-active policing on residential streets to catch criminals.

Lisa Glasband of Fernwood Road said a car thief attempted to steal one of her family's vehicles from her driveway Wednesday. She said her husband confronted the person, and the would-be thief quickly left in a "speeding getaway car."

Glasband said her security footage showed that the people worked in a team. One person drove up in front of the targeted house while a getaway driver waited outside in case the theft was unsuccessful.

"We are a laughing stock," Glasband said. "The criminals know they can come here. They're not going to get chased. They're not going to get arrested, and there are absolutely zero consequences."

Glasband added that she believed closing off some the access roads into Summit would prevent more criminals from entering the community. She said there were seven main access roads into Summit from the highways.

"Criminals are not just targeting us because of key fobs," Glasband said. "They're smart enough to know that it's a straight shot to any of the seven access roads."

Glasband and a few others referenced the attempted abduction on Fernwood Road in April 2021 of a 19-year-old woman off a residential street.

Dennis Cole of Fernwood Road said something happens every night on Fernwood and that he believes certain roads into Summit are being targeted.

Haley Telling of Oak Ridge Avenue said she was the victim of an strong arm robbery in June and was able to get a sample of the person's blood and submitted it to the police for DNA analysis. The DNA has still not been processed, she added. Telling argued the evidence that could link many of the criminals to others, and she implored the police to process the DNA.

Zagorski came up to the podium after the public comments and maintained that the crux of the problem was unlocked cars with the keys left inside.

"My point of emphasizing this ... is no way meant to victim-shame or blame anyone," Zagorski said. "I care deeply for this community, ... and your safety is paramount to me."

Zagorski said Summit saw 31 stolen vehicles in 2020 and 28 in 2021.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau attributed the spike in car thefts over the past few years to the pandemic, economic downturn and loss of juvenile outreach programs, among other factors. The increase of keyless ignitions in cars was also cited as a contributing factor in thefts, according to Zagorski.

He explained that the people committing the thefts were teams of small organized criminal groups who go through neighborhoods to identify cars that are susceptible to being stolen. Zagorski said investigation showed that if a criminal is unsuccessful in opening a vehicle, they will move on in search of another target.

The Summit Police are now sending out Nixle alerts for every motor vehicle theft and attempted theft in order to alert the community to the level of such activity.

Zagorski also said the latest trend is for criminals to take vehicles and use them to commit crimes. Such vehicles are usually recovered. The Summit Police Department's recovery rate is around 85 percent.

The police use advanced technology such as license plate readers throughout the town in various undisclosed locations.

Zagorski did not respond to residents' concerns about criminals checking doors or the suggestion to close entry points into Summit. However, Radest said the township is working on closing off the end of Fernwood Road.

Radest said she has invited the mayors and police chiefs of surrounding municipalities to have a joint conversation of best practices and to work toward a solution to prevent car thefts in the area.

"I am not blaming residents, but I am urging individual responsibility," Radest said earlier in the meeting.

To watch Tuesday's full Summit council meeting, click on the YouTube video below.

Meeting agendas and minutes can also be found on the city's website.

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