Car thefts alarmingly surge 191% in NYC since 2019, NYPD data shows
NY Post
Car thefts in the Big Apple have surged a staggering 191% compared to before the COVID pandemic, according to NYPD data released Wednesday — as Mayor Eric Adams declared that “crime is down” and New York City had turned a corner.
A total of 15,802 vehicles were ripped off across the five boroughs through Dec. 31, an alarming uptick from the 5,438 stolen back in 2019, according to the year-end review of crime statistics.
In the last year alone, auto thefts recorded the biggest spike of any major crime category in the city — with the number of stolen vehicles up 15% more than the 13,741 swindled in the same period in 2022.
Despite the surge in stolen vehicles, overall crime across Gotham did drop slightly in 2023 — down 0.3% — compared to the year prior, the NYPD figures show.
The crime rates are up more than 31% overall compared to 2019, per the data.
Still, Hizzoner hailed the year-end stats, honing in on a decrease in citywide shootings and murders.
