INKSTER, MI - Auto theft in Michigan cities is spiking with cities like Inkster, Romulus, and Detroit particularly feeling the impact of brazen car thefts from dealers, driverways, parking lots, and potentially deadly carjackings.
As reported by The Detroit News, auto theft in Inkster, a Detroit suburb southwest of Dearborn, has spiked by 44% from 2019 to 2023 according to Michigan State Police statistics. Statewide the car theft rate has exploded by 56%. In the hardest hit counties: Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne rates have skyrocketed by 140%, 99%, and 50% respectively.
In response to the massive upsurge of organized gangs targeting vehicles, like in Detroit where thefts jumped up 34%, license plate readers have been installed with $5 million in federal funds according to The Detroit Free Press.
Macomb County Sheriff's Cmdr. Jason Abro, commanding the Macomb County Auto Theft Squad described the problem as a huge problem for the state, but also a national concern saying, "It's a huge problem, not just here, but across the country."
He added, "We're throwing everything in our toolbox at it."
Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin pointed to a 22% drop in his city’s vehicle thefts in 2024 over 2023’s figure after they had spiked a whopping 136% saying license plate readers and drones had been instrumental in getting ahead of the wave. "License-plate reading cameras allow us to track stolen vehicles," Shahin told Detroit News. "We’ve made countless arrests we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to make."
More advanced drones have infra-red capabilities allowing the officers to continue pursuit after a suspect has fled their stolen vehicle. "The infra-red cameras allow us to have visibility in limited visibility situations," Shahin added.
Cmdr. Abro lamented that although police are able to better respond to the thefts, “The problem is, after we arrest them, a lot of them aren't sticking around in jail for long." Many departments have pointed to the state justice system handing down lighter sentences to nonviolent offenders.
Director of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police Robert Stevenson explained, "We make the arrests, and the perps are often back on the street literally before we've done our paperwork.” Stevenson said. "So if there are no real consequences for stealing a car, it's not surprising that the numbers would go up."
As reported by The Detroit News, auto theft in Inkster, a Detroit suburb southwest of Dearborn, has spiked by 44% from 2019 to 2023 according to Michigan State Police statistics. Statewide the car theft rate has exploded by 56%. In the hardest hit counties: Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne rates have skyrocketed by 140%, 99%, and 50% respectively.
In response to the massive upsurge of organized gangs targeting vehicles, like in Detroit where thefts jumped up 34%, license plate readers have been installed with $5 million in federal funds according to The Detroit Free Press.
Macomb County Sheriff's Cmdr. Jason Abro, commanding the Macomb County Auto Theft Squad described the problem as a huge problem for the state, but also a national concern saying, "It's a huge problem, not just here, but across the country."
He added, "We're throwing everything in our toolbox at it."
Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin pointed to a 22% drop in his city’s vehicle thefts in 2024 over 2023’s figure after they had spiked a whopping 136% saying license plate readers and drones had been instrumental in getting ahead of the wave. "License-plate reading cameras allow us to track stolen vehicles," Shahin told Detroit News. "We’ve made countless arrests we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to make."
More advanced drones have infra-red capabilities allowing the officers to continue pursuit after a suspect has fled their stolen vehicle. "The infra-red cameras allow us to have visibility in limited visibility situations," Shahin added.
Cmdr. Abro lamented that although police are able to better respond to the thefts, “The problem is, after we arrest them, a lot of them aren't sticking around in jail for long." Many departments have pointed to the state justice system handing down lighter sentences to nonviolent offenders.
Director of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police Robert Stevenson explained, "We make the arrests, and the perps are often back on the street literally before we've done our paperwork.” Stevenson said. "So if there are no real consequences for stealing a car, it's not surprising that the numbers would go up."
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Comments
2025-02-08T20:20-0500 | Comment by: Paul
If that state seriously wants to fix their problem. Don't hire "Mayor Pete" for anything from governor to head janitor in charge of cleaning toilets in government buildings. His record speaks for itself.
2025-02-09T18:07-0500 | Comment by: James
THIS is what happens when pigs and their families go into the towing / wrecking business and into the body shops ..... CHOP BABY CHOP ........