Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - With more than three months remaining on the 2022 calendar, Erie County has already seen a rapid rise in the number of car thefts this year.
"I have to say that this year, we're beyond an uptick. I would say we're skyrocketing," said Erie County Sheriff John Garcia. "This trend of stolen vehicles, thefts from vehicles, what I've got to say is nearly all these are preventable. ... Most of them are because the owner is leaving the car unlocked with the car keys, the fobs inside the vehicle."
It was a couple of week ago when the Erie County Sheriff's Office recorded the 100th stolen vehicle of the year. While these crimes can vary in rates throughout the different municipalities in the county, Sheriff Garcia says the thefts have been pretty widespread.
"The Erie County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency in 18 towns, villages and Native American territories. Where we're seeing the biggest spike in our areas of coverage are Clarence and Grand Island. They've been, kind of, recently the hotspots right now for the Sheriff's Office, and these crimes are happening though in every town, in every village, in every neighborhood, affluent or not," he said.
The Erie County Sheriff is pleading with people to not only lock their vehicles any time they're away, but also to bring their keys or key fobs with them and hide any other personal belongings in the car. He says it doesn't take a master thief for anyone to know how to steal a car in today's world.
"Years ago, when I worked patrol in Buffalo, we would see a lot of cars with broken vent windows and then they would get inside, break the steering column and with a screwdriver, start the car. As you know, those times are gone. Right now, you need the key. People are just leaving the key in the car," Sheriff Garcia said. "Another issue that we're having too is that some of these items that are stolen, credit cards and so forth, and they're being used by the criminal prior to the owner knowing that it was even taken. That leads not only to the car thefts, but larcenies, grand and larcenies and so forth."
Unfortunately, Sheriff Garcia admits that this issue is not only the Erie County Sheriff's Office's issue. Many other Chiefs of Police in other municipalities, including the City of Buffalo, are dealing with a growing number of car thefts.
Aside from thieves stealing cars and other belongings from unlocked vehicles, Sheriff Garcia points out another issue when leaving your car unlocked.
"Sometimes your garage door opener might be in your car. A thief will be able to open your garage door, take any contents out of your garage. Or even worse, if it's connected to your house, attached to your house, they're able to make entry," the Sheriff said. "We need cooperation from our residents in preventing these crimes."
It doesn't matter whether or not someone may be parking their car outside their home in a residential area, or they're out-and-about in a commercial area going shopping or taking in a movie. It doesn't matter whether it's in the middle of a hot summer day, or it's during the coldest days of winter. Sheriff Garcia says car thieves are always looking to take advantage of a situation on a year-round basis, anywhere and any time.
"These thieves are targeting soft targets, meaning they're looking inside, they're checking the car door. If it's open, they're opening it, they're checking for contents. If they hit the jackpot and see the car key in there, they'll take the vehicle," he said. "Sometimes they'll take cash, they'll take credit cards, whatever they could get their hands on. It's a crime of opportunity, and the opportunity is there because first-and-foremost, the door's unlocked. Maybe if it's locked, they'll go to the next vehicle and so forth."
On top of locking your cars and making sure the keys or key fobs are removed from your vehicle, Sheriff Garcia also recommends further prevention matters, such as parking in well-lit areas, if they can. Also, if you have a garage, be sure to park the car inside and also take they keys out of the vehicle.
In addition, Sheriff Garcia encourages anyone that sees any suspicious activity in their community, or they notice any attempted car thefts in their neighborhood to call 9-1-1 and the Sheriff's Office, and they will respond as quickly as possible.
"We ask the community, that are our eyes and ears, if they see something, say something. Please call 9-1-1, we'll check it out," Sheriff Garcia said. "If there's nothing to it, well, so be it, but we have to work together."