48°
Fort Lee police made it simple to see the theft, which took barely half a minute.
The crew pulled up to the latest victim's house just after 5:30 a.m. Sunday in another stolen vehicle, they said.
All three hustled out and tested door handles.
One of them was a winner.
The loser: the owner who left the key fob in the unlocked vehicle and found it missing later.
Police everywhere -- not just in Fort Lee -- have gone from frustrated to angry that more and more motorists are basically inviting thieves to steal their vehicles.
No police department can be everywhere at all times, which makes owners' claims that police should prevent such crimes naive, at best.
Figuring the insurance will cover it doesn't take into account how that actually will affect the owner's rates -- especially when his or her carrier discovers the fob was left in an unlocked vehicle.
Equally mistaken is the idea that locks won't make a difference because thieves will try to break in, anyway -- nope, police say.
As the video shows, car thieves today simply shop, going from vehicle to vehicle testing door handles.
They ordinarily don't need to work more than a single block before finding an available ride. Then you or your neighbor's wheels are gone.
Anyone who believes that moving to a particular town better-protects them against vehicle thieves is a potential target.
The thieves actually prefer nicer neighborhoods specifically because there are trees, fences and other dividers between homes, fewer people are out and around -- and higher-end vehicles will be available.
As statistics and anecdotal evidence show, vehicle after vehicle are stolen from more affluent towns.
Police say drivers elsewhere apparently have the good sense to lock their cars, SUV, trucks and other means of transportation without leaving the fobs inside.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Garfield-Lodi and receive free news updates.
