By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
MARGATE – Police Chief Matthew Hankinson recently announced the Police Department reported 12 stolen vehicles this summer but all of them were recovered within days. Other vehicle thefts have been reported in Ventnor and Longport.
Being recovered is not the only thing those 12 vehicle owners had in common. All of them were high end vehicles and all of them provided free access to thieves by leaving the doors unlocked and the key fob in the vehicle. All of them.
In addition to hearing “swim in the ocean only when and where a lifeguard is present,” the most often provided warning at Downbeach public meetings is “lock your car and garage doors and take the keys inside.”
Yet, either no one is listening, or the vehicle owners just don’t care. Do visitors have a false sense of security when visiting the Downbeach area, or are they secretly hoping someone steals their car?
Retrieving stolen vehicles puts police at risk, puts a strain on overburdened police departments during the busy summer season, and results in increased insurance rates for everyone else.
This reporter has heard and repeated both phrases when reporting on drownings, near-death rescues and dramatic stories about how stolen vehicles are located and recovered.
Both issues often produce unwanted consequences. The most recent is the death of two innocent people – a school bus driver and a hairdresser – in a violent head-on crash in downtown Mays Landing Saturday morning caused by the driver of a stolen vehicle. Two people lost their lives when an adult and three juveniles stole an expensive car in Longport and traveled offshore, supposedly joyriding. A recent report said the adult had two other stolen vehicle charges under his belt. Additionally, the NJ Attorney General’s Office is investigating the accident due to possible police involvement.
We don’t know at this time how the four individuals gained access to the stolen vehicle, but if it was left unlocked, should the owner of the vehicle accept some responsibility for not protecting their property from crime?
Stealing cars has become a commonplace crime in the Downbeach area, mostly due to the neglect of the vehicle owner. This is sad. In order to protect yourself from becoming an unsuspecting victim of crime, it is everyone’s responsibility to be diligent about protecting what you worked so hard to achieve.
Requiring police to put their lives in danger to retrieve stolen property when the owner demonstrates neglect should be a crime.
Ventnor, Margate and Longport are great places to visit, but they are just like everywhere else. Crime exists…and even more so in areas that are magnets for the industrial car theft and parts resale market. Why not make it more challenging for the criminals?
Don’t have a false sense of security anywhere. You could become a victim anywhere at any time due to your own neglect.
So, one more time…
Don’t be stupid…always lock your car doors and only swim when a lifeguard is present.
Leave a Reply