Borough President Vito Fossella said the surge reflects a need for more NYPD officers on the streets of Staten Island. Fossella and District Attorney Michael E. McMahon previously asked Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to increase staffing on the borough.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like a supply and demand,\u201d Fossella said during an exclusive interview with the Advance\/SILive.com<\/a> on Thursday. \u201cYou need less bad guys and more good guys, which is why, all else being equal, we\u2019re banging the drum for more police officers on Staten Island. That will help to address this problem.\u201d<\/p>\n So far this year, thieves have snatched 71 vehicles compared to 58 in the same period last year, a 22% uptick in the category listed as grand larceny auto.<\/p>\n An uprise of nearly 164%, to 29 from 11 incidents, has been tallied over 28 days.<\/p>\n McMahon said in a statement that the four-week hike \u201cis concerning and unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n The escalation is even more dramatic for the week, surging 250%, with seven incidents compared to two last year, according to CompStat.<\/p>\n Where vehicle thefts are happening<\/p>\n The thefts are happening all over the borough, but are most prevalent on the North and East shores this year. Vehicle thefts have risen nearly 67% this year in the 120th Precinct based in St. George, to 25 from 15.<\/p>\n Thieves have been much less active in the 121st Precinct, based in Graniteville and encompassing parts of the North and West shores. A 10% reduction in car thefts, to 18 from 20, has been recorded this year.<\/p>\n An increase of 20%, to 18 from 15, has been tallied this year in the 122nd Precinct, which includes portions of the East and South shores.<\/p>\n The South Shore\u2019s 123rd Precinct has seen a 25% uptick in such incidents, to 10 from eight reports.<\/p>\n Challenges to deterring car thefts<\/p>\n The borough president said his hope is that \u201cwe\u2019ll get sort of a cavalry charge and we get additional personnel\u201d in the next couple of months.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re told that there\u2019s a formula throughout the city and that\u2019s how the determinations are being made,\u201d said Fossella, adding, \u201cthat might be fine in other parts, but we have a duty and an obligation, especially when we see things like this, to say we need the help, we need the resources.\u201d<\/p>\n Fossella maintains that the presence of police officers and marked patrol cars deters some criminals.<\/p>\n \u201cIf they know that a year ago there was going to be a cop car on Todt Hill Road or, pick a spot, they\u2019re less likely to go there,\u201d he said of the criminals. \u201cBut if you start taking those cars away and people away, there\u2019s more of an avenue or chance that they can be successful in their thefts.\u201d<\/p>\n McMahon said some of the factors emboldening car thieves are laws that raise the age of criminal responsibility to 18 and prevent judges from imposing bail on people accused of most misdemeanors and non-violent felonies.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be sure, changes in our laws such as \u2018Raise the Age\u2019 and so-called bail reform, and preventable circumstances like unlocked vehicles have made it more difficult to apprehend and hold these brazen lawbreakers accountable,\u201d McMahon said.<\/p>\n But the culprits will not continue to get away with their crimes, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen caught, these criminals will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,\u201d McMahon said. \u201cBy combining smart policing with community cooperation, we will address and reverse this disturbing trend and continue to keep Staten Island the safest community of its size in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n Task force<\/p>\n A task force to combat vehicle theft remains active, McMahon said. The task force is composed of members of the NYPD\u2019s Robbery Squad, Larceny Squad, Grand Larceny Squad, Grand Larceny Auto Squad, and other specialized units \u2014 as well as regional partners across state lines, including the Port Authority Police, State Police of New York and New Jersey, and other federal agencies.<\/p>\n \u201cWorking in partnership with the NYPD and regional law enforcement agencies, we have made great progress in reducing the number of car thefts committed on Staten Island in recent years, recording double digit decreases in each of the past three years,\u201d McMahon said. \u201cFrom creating a vehicle theft task force with our law enforcement partners to securing license plate readers on each of our borough\u2019s bridges to starting a campaign that reminds our fellow Staten Islanders to lock their cars, our multi-pronged approach has led to the arrest and prosecution of countless car thieves.\u201d<\/p>\n McMahon, NYPD brass and local elected officials announced the creation of the task force in 2023.<\/p>\n The NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \n Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, stated that the videos show no evidence that the officer was struck by friendly fire\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \n The Temple Terrace PD officer was travelling at more than 100mph in his unmarked cruiser while on duty but not \u201cactively taking law enforcement action,\u201d according to an affidavit\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \n The suspect is accused of speeding more than 50 mph, running multiple red lights and knocking an LASD deputy off a motorcycle\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \n The suspect entered a branch of U.S. Bank in Berea and \u201cimmediately shot and killed a male victim\u201d and then fatally shot a teller, according to an FBI affidavit\n <\/p>\n \u00a9 2026 Staten Island Advance, N.Y.. 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