Rep. Mikie Sherrill resumes drive for $150M auto-theft bill that stalled in last Congress

A bipartisan bill to fund new police efforts against auto theft failed to advance in Congress at the end of last year, but U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill said she's put the measure back on the table.

Sherrill, a Montclair Democrat, said she's reintroduced the Auto Theft Prevention Act in Washington along with her co-sponsor, Nebraska Republican Don Bacon.

“When residents, mayors, and police chiefs throughout NJ-11 came to me with concerns regarding the rise in motor-vehicle theft in our towns, it was clear federal action was necessary,” Sherrill, who represents the state's 11th Congressional District, said in a statement last week.

The bill would provide $150 million in grants over five years to local law enforcement, in response to a rise in auto thefts and stolen vehicle trafficking around the country.

New Jersey State Police estimate that about 15,644 cars were stolen in 2022, an increase of more than 1,000 from last year and nearly 4,000 more than in 2020. Auto theft can be cyclical: 16,471 car thefts were reported as recently as 2012.

The rise in recent years reflects dramatic increases in luxury-vehicle thefts in the wealthy suburbs of North Jersey, including Sherrill's district. The new wave, police have said, is largely the work of organized criminal gangs who scour neighborhoods for expensive vehicles that are left unlocked with the key fobs inside.

In more brazen cases in recent months, thieves — often juveniles recruited by seasoned criminals — have entered unlocked homes in North Jersey in search of the fobs.

For subscribers: NJ car theft is on a record-setting pace: See where your town ranks

Nationally, almost 500,000 vehicles worth an estimated $4.5 billion were stolen in the first half of 2022, Sherrill said when she first announced the bill in October. Thefts are up about 25% compared with the first half of 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic, Sherrill said.

"These thefts have placed communities in danger and left families feeling threatened in their own homes," Sherrill said. "With this commonsense, bipartisan legislation, state and local police will have stronger resources that will help them respond to and deter thieves."

The legislation would provide resources for joint task forces, data collection and research activities related to auto theft, her statement said. It would also help local departments purchase equipment such as law enforcement vehicles and license plate readers. Grants would also pay for additional staff, compensation and overtime costs.

William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com 

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This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Mikie Sherrill auto theft bill reintroduced in Congress