Shomrim Coordinators Reflect on Arrests in Car Theft Ring Behind Over 60 Local Vehicle Thefts

By Y.M. Lowy

Like many areas in New York, Boro Park has been struggling with an increase in car thefts. People would wake up early, only to find their car was missing from where they had parked it the night before. But with great success, the dedicated Boro Park Shomrim team traced the thieves who stole over 60 cars and caught them red-handed.

BoroPark24 sat down with Boro Park Shomrim coordinators Moshe Yosef Steinberg, Shlomo Itzkowitz, and Yaakov Posner to gain an inside look at the car theft issue, how the thieves were apprehended, and insights into Shomrim’s efforts to keep the community safe.

Before Boro Park Shomrim was established, about forty years ago, car thefts were frequent. Recently, the problem has been rising again. So, what is Shomrim doing today to protect the city from this crime?

First, we regularly put up notices and ads reminding residents to lock their cars and not leave valuables inside. Additionally, we have several patrol cars that drive around the city throughout the night, trying to catch any suspicious activity.

Did the thieves mostly steal the cars themselves, or did they break in to steal items?

It could happen both ways, but mostly they stole the cars themselves. The thieves used a special device that easily copied the car key, and in just a few minutes after arriving at a parked car, they would drive off calmly with it.

If they can copy the car key so easily, what’s the use of locking the car?

True, but the thieves first check if the car is unlocked. If it’s locked or they are pressed for time, it is much harder for them to steal.

Were the thieves always the same group, or did new ones show up every day?

Most of the time, it was the same group of thieves. They would drive around in one car, stopping on each street. A few thieves would get out, steal a car, and drive off, while the others would search for new victims.

How did Shomrim manage to catch them?

The thefts went on for several weeks, and we realized that all the recent car thefts were connected. We immediately launched an operation to catch the group, and just two nights later, we tracked their movements. We followed them both physically and through Shomrim cameras, going street by street until we knew who they were, where they were from, and where they were going. Once we knew where they lived, we set up a stakeout near their house, waiting until they came out. After a well-planned but quiet operation, using drones, Shomrim cameras, and police officers, we confronted them and caught them red-handed while they were breaking into cars.

After reviewing their history, it turned out that these thieves were being searched for by several nearby police departments who hadn’t been able to catch them. In total, they had stolen 65 cars across several areas.

Did you recover the stolen cars?

Most of the Jewish-owned stolen cars were found, thank God. The thieves would abandon the cars a few streets away, but when the owners came back, the original keys wouldn’t work because they had swapped them out for their own. We had to bring in someone to reprogram the keys and return all the cars to their rightful owners.

Now that the group has been arrested, does this mean the car theft problem is solved?

Not quite. The captured thieves were part of a larger network. Hopefully, this sends the message that our area is not the right place for their car theft activities, and we hope they won’t return.

Do you think Boro Park suffers more from car theft than other areas, or is it common everywhere?

Car theft rings are widespread across America, however, in areas with many wealthy residents, like ours, it’s more common because the thieves tend to focus on high-end cars.

Earlier, you mentioned Shomrim cameras. How do these cameras help in catching the thieves?

The new way to catch criminals these days is through our full team of IT volunteers who specialize in computers and technology. When we receive a report about a stolen car, we track the thief using the cameras. We check camera after camera to see where the car went, where it was parked, and where the thief lives.

Where are these cameras placed, and who installed them?

Shomrim installed cameras throughout the streets of the city. We also have direct access to private cameras donated by residents who want to help protect the city. This allows us to track criminals street by street.

How many cameras does Shomrim have access to in total?

Altogether, we can access about 500 cameras across different parts of the city.

Besides catching car thieves, what other role do the cameras play?

These days, every report of a missing person is mainly handled through the cameras. When we get a call about a lost person, we go straight to the cameras and track their steps—whether they went into a car, train, or store, and where they ended up.

In general, the way Shomrim operates has changed since we installed the cameras. While many of our members patrol the streets physically, when we need to search for someone, we have a solid database of footage.

Recently, someone mistakenly left their tefillin on a city bus and called us in a panic. We were able to check the cameras, find out which bus number the tefillin was on, and track it down. We then coordinated with the MTA to return the tefillin. Shomrim is also asking Boro Park residents to please give us access to their outdoor cameras. This helps us find missing people, catch thieves, and prevent crime.

How do you see this past year compared to previous years? Were there more thefts this year than last year, or fewer?

Crime is decreasing year by year. A few years ago, you’d hear about a break-in at a house or car almost every day. Today, you still hear it occasionally, but it’s almost nonexistent. This year, there were far fewer incidents than last year.

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