Auto Theft Crime Reduction Program
The Newark Public Safety Collaborative (NPSC) is happy to announce the launch of a community-led campaign to reduce auto thefts in the city of Newark. In early 2020, NPSC partner organizations agreed to organize a poster competition that sought to engage community organizations and residents in an effort to increase awareness of the risks of leaving cars running unattended. To address this crime problem, the NPSC has analyzed the data and partnered with various community-based organizations (CBOs) in a data-informed community engagement (DICE) effort that seeks to mobilize resources to reduce auto thefts in Newark. In July 2020, NPSC announced that Liyah S., a 6-year-old Newark resident, was the poster contest winner. The resulting campaign flyer depicts the winning poster and other relevant data insights to inform the Newark community of the public safety risks associated with leaving cars running unattended.
This Auto Theft Crime Reduction Strategy consists of community-led visits to retail stores, parking lots, and other locations within identified target areas. NPSC analysts identified these locations as posing an increased risk for auto theft due to their unique spatial configuration (i.e., presence of unique environmental features) and recent exposure to crime (i.e., clustering of incidents). Currently, twelve community-based organizations and the Newark Police Division, have partnered to distribute a total of 6,000 flyers at specific locations throughout the city of Newark. The preliminary results suggest a threefold decrease in the number of stolen cars within the 21 designated areas between October and December 2020, as compared to the same time frame for 2019. Overall, the number of motor vehicle thefts went down by 47%. See below an infographic depicting the timeline of the campaign.
