New Haven sees summer spike in car thefts

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — A spike in car thefts over the summer has prompted New Haven residents to be on alert. But, the numbers, overall, have dropped.

“I left my 8-year-old daughter in the car, ran into the house, and I came back outside to see somebody getting into my car and driving off,” said Binyomin Lieblich, of New Haven.

Lieblich, who co-owns Ladle & Loaf restaurant, described those scary moments.

“Thank God, literally seconds, before, my daughter got out of the car,” she said.

New Haven police saw a jump in car thefts over the summer. But, the department said the numbers have dropped this year, compared to last year, by about 24%.

In 2024, police said there have been 649 incidents. At this time last year, there were 849 incidents.

“[A car] ran through my gate, my yard and hit my neighbor’s house,” said Michele Jordan, of New Haven.

Jordan showed News 8 the aftermath of a stolen car, crashing through her yard and into the house next door.

“I was sitting in my bedroom, watching TV and heard a large screech,” she said. “You have to be able to catch these guys, or do something to stop it.”

Residents want to see change.

“Right now, taxpaying citizens are feeling the effects of this,” Lieblich said.

New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson said they’re working to combat this.

“I think we have a city-wide average of 10-12,” Jacobson said. “It spiked to 20 one week, 32 another week, 35 another week. This past week, it was only five.”

He joined News 8 in the Beaver Hills neighborhood, where they’ve seen a number of car thefts and break-ins.

“We’ve been very successful over this weekend using plain-clothes officers and detectives recovering stolen cars and making arrests,” Jacobson said. “We’re going to work towards some sort of task force and work together – go see these kid’s parents – get some responsibility and accountability.”

In most cases, police said it’s a juvenile who’s involved. This year, 56 juveniles have been arrested with some arrested multiple times.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker added the city has installed cameras and utilized stop sticks to help catch those responsible.

“It’s very frustrating, and hugely disruptive to people’s lives,” Elicker said. “Police do regularly catch people. There’s more work to be done, but we’re making some progress here.”

Steering wheel locks are available at the New Haven police and Yale police departments.  You’re also being reminded to lock your cars and hide your valuables to better protect yourself.

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