This year alone, 7,804 cars, trucks and buses have been stolen so far in New Jersey through September. That's down more than 10 percent, but not every place has seen its numbers drop.
The recent takedown by the State Police and Attorney General's office of a major international car theft ring was a reminder that while the number of stolen cars taken off the streets of New Jersey has been dropping, Grand Theft Auto is not just a video game.
This year alone, 7,804 cars, trucks and buses have been stolen so far in New Jersey through September, according to new crime figures released in October by the State Police.
HOT WHEELS: What are the most stolen cars in New Jersey?
That's down more than 10 percent over the same period last year, but not every place has seen its numbers drop. The city of Orange, for example, had more cars stolen last year than 2013, although the State Police report indicates it is tracking a far lower tally for 2015.
Here are the 10 towns in the state where your wheels are most at risk, based on total number of vehicles taken by car thieves in 2014.
The rankings change somewhat when examined based on the number of stolen cars per population, but not by much--with the exception of Jersey City, which has numbers associated with a city, but dramatically cut car thefts last year. In some places, though, stolen vehicle rates were as high as 9 street heists for every 1,000 people.
Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.