Theft of vehicles in New York, the most affected brands

According to data collected by the New York Police Department and released at the end of 2023, car thefts in New York City have increased by an alarming 191% compared to pre-COVID (2019) levels.

In 2023, total 15,802 vehicle thefts in the five boroughsThat represents a significant increase compared to 5,438 in 2019 and 15% more than 2022, where 13,741 cases were reported, as reported by The New York Post.

Last year, there was a series of car thefts Crime with the highest increase In the city, overall crime has declined by 0.3% compared to the previous year. However, compared to 2019, the crime rate has increased by over 31%, according to the statistics. NYPD.

Kia and Hyundai According to Mike Lipetri, head of Control Strategies, the model is the most sought after crime of the New York Police, which is attributed to the incident TikTok Viral Challenge Last year that encouraged teenagers to steal these brands of vehicles for rides.

He NYPD Thieves, inspired by social media, warned of the “dangerous” trend after being stopped by a police cruiser during a 12-hour journey. “We have seen an increase of more than 300% in thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles, with more than 2,100 reported cases”Lipatri emphasized.

These were the places most affected by looting Bronx and Queens, according to Lipatri, many of these robberies clearly took place on the streets. Additionally, vehicle recoveries were analyzed outside of New York City, in locations such as New Jersey and Westchester.

Mayor Eric Adams reported that a stricter crackdown on car thefts has been implemented About 2,000 arrests in 2023The highest figure in two decades.

Some of these cases have reached climax The most serious crimes. For example, in November, a 43-year-old man was struck and killed in Queens while trying to stop his car from being stolen during the day. In April, a Department of Sanitation (DSNY) employee shot a teenager who tried to steal his vehicle in the Bronx.

According to previous figures of NYPDCar theft was already among the crimes that have risen the most in the city since the start of the pandemic.