Staten Island leaders are turning up the pressure on the NYPD, calling for more officers on local streets and tougher penalties after a sharp rise in vehicle thefts across the borough.
The increase is showing up on the North, East and South shores, and it has political leaders pressing law enforcement and state partners for quick action. Borough President Vito Fossella and District Attorney Michael E. McMahon say they want immediate steps to bolster patrols and prosecutions.
CompStat data through April 19 show Staten Island has logged 71 stolen vehicles so far this year, up from 58 in the same period last year, roughly a 22% increase. The four-week tally jumped to 29 from 11, about a 164% rise, and one recent week saw seven reported thefts compared with two in the same week last year. The trend is uneven by precinct: the 120th (St. George) recorded the biggest increase, while the 121st saw a decline, according to the Staten Island Advance.
“You need less bad guys and more good guys,” Fossella said in an interview as he pushed for a faster allocation of patrols and marked cars on borough streets. He and McMahon have urged Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to increase staffing on Staten Island to blunt the uptick. The NYPD did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Task force and license-plate readers
McMahon said a multi-agency vehicle-theft task force remains active, and that license-plate readers on Staten Island bridge crossings are being used to help locate stolen cars and track cross-border movement. In a press release, the District Attorney’s office described a Port Authority investment to install permanent readers at the Bayonne Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing and said the cameras have helped investigators recover vehicles and support prosecutions.
City officials have also laid out a broader effort that includes dedicated Grand Larceny Auto response vehicles, additional investigators and public outreach to encourage owners to install tracking devices and lock their cars, according to the District Attorney’s announcement.
Legal implications
McMahon and other elected officials have pointed to state-level changes as part of the problem, saying laws such as Raise the Age and recent bail reforms have made it harder to hold some repeat offenders. “I will continue to strongly advocate for changes to our laws,” McMahon wrote in the Richmond County District Attorney’s 2024 annual report, urging policy fixes to restore prosecutorial options. At the same time, he emphasized that when evidence supports charges, his office will work with regional partners to seek accountability.
Officials are also asking residents to handle the basics: lock doors, remove key fobs and report suspicious activity while law enforcement leans on technology and coordinated operations. The city’s anti-car-theft plan includes outreach measures such as device giveaways, billboards and targeted messaging to vehicle owners, according to the NYC Mayor's Office. Local coverage of the license-plate-reader rollout has highlighted that the cameras are a key part of investigations, reporting by Gothamist shows.
Residents with tips are encouraged to contact their local precinct or the District Attorney’s tip line.
