Lagana Introduces Legislation to Toughen Penalties for Automobile Thefts and Carjackings

Trenton – Senator Joseph Lagana introduced a legislative package today meant to help curb the rash of motor vehicle thefts that have been occurring with increasing frequency across the Garden State by upgrading automobile thefts from a third- to a second-degree crime, and by imposing stiffer penalties for both automobile thefts as well as carjackings.

“When a person’s car is stolen, it wreaks havoc on their daily routine on top of the financial and emotional distress caused by such a personal violation. In New Jersey, the vast majority of residents depend on their cars to get back and forth to work, to get their kids to school, or to go wherever they need to be. One way to help curtail car thefts is to make sure would be criminals know that justice will be swift and severe,” said Senator Joseph Lagana (D-Bergen/Passaic).

The first bill would upgrade the crime of theft of a motor vehicle from a third degree crime to a second degree crime. Third degree crimes are punishable by 3 to 5 years imprisonment, up to a $15,000 fine, or both. This legislation increases theft of motor vehicle to a crime of the second degree. A crime of the second degree is punishable by up to 5 to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $150,000 fine, or both.

The second bill would permit a penalty to be imposed upon a defendant who commits the crime of carjacking, which is already a first degree crime punishable by up to 10 to 30 years imprisonment. Under the bill, the defendant may be subject to additional penalties not to exceed $15,000, plus the value of the automobile and its contents at the time it was stolen if the value exceeds $5,000 and the automobile is not recovered.

Last year, 14,320 vehicles were reported stolen in New Jersey, a 22-percent increase compared to 2020, which also saw a rise over the previous year, according to State Police data. The rise of thefts in New Jersey is part of a nationwide trend the National Insurance Crime Bureau has called “unprecedented.”

“This is not just a New Jersey problem, but it is a big problem in New Jersey,” noted Senator Lagana. “I urge all residents to be vigilant with locking their cars and protecting key fobs, but it is also critical that we fight car theft and make jacking punishments that fit the crime.”