Car thefts rev up by staggering 92%

Car owners are under siege as motor vehicle larceny in Jamaica has skyrocketed by 92 per cent up to February 8, moving from 60 stolen vehicles for the similar period in 2024 to 115 reports since the start of the year.

That is an average increase of three reports daily, according to Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) statistics obtained by The Gleaner.

The data did not break down where the bulk of cars were stolen and what models were being targeted. However, sources told The Gleaner that the Corporate Area has for several years been a “den of thieves”.

The Gleaner understands that 10 cars were stolen from one St Andrew Police Division.

“Toyota and Nissan are the preferred make of vehicles targeted. Of the nine motor vehicles stolen since January 2025, Toyotas account for four and Nissans account for two. The pattern now is that they are going into some of the rural areas such as Gordon Town and Red Hills,” a senior officer told The Gleaner.

Last year, Deputy Superintendent Dalian Clarke, of the St Andrew North Police Division, said 119 cars were stolen between January and October.

He estimated the combined losses to vehicle owners in the division then, to be upwards of $600 million.

The latest statistics comprised also of comparative years 2022 and 2023.

In 2022, 46 motor vehicles were stolen for the comparative period while in 2023, 62 were stolen.

Last year, The Gleaner published a series of reports on larceny of motor vehicles under the headlines ‘Grand theft auto’ on November 1; ‘Gone in five days’ on November 10, and ‘Police put on look out for hacking tool being used to steal cars’ on December 16.

HACKING TOOL

In the latter report, a pocket-size portable hacking tool, a Flipper Zero, was seized in Jamaica during a brazen attempt to steal motor vehicles.

The device is able to read, copy and emulate radio-frequency identification (RFID) and near-field communication (NFC) tags, radio remotes and digital access keys.

The device was allegedly confiscated from two men, as they attempted to steal two vehicles at the Constant Spring Tax Office in St Andrew last year.

The device was later confirmed to be a key reprogramming gadget that allows criminals to steal a car within seconds.

The Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime (CTOC) said that at the end of November 2024, 1,400 cars were reported stolen islandwide, the majority of which were never recovered or found scrapped.

This year, on February 1, the St Mary police recovered a stolen motor vehicle in bushes in Belfield in the parish.

The partly scrapped 2019 grey Toyota Corolla Axio motorcar had been reported stolen on January 30 at the Port Maria Police Station.

That incident marked the fourth stolen vehicle recovered in St Mary within a week.

In another stolen motor vehicle incident in the Corporate Area, a 2022 Corolla Cross (Brown) was reportedly stolen from Twin Gates Plaza on February 2, 2025.

This vehicle was last seen on Eastwood Park Road.

In the latest incident, yesterday, though not stating the area, a social media user on X reported that her neighbour’s car was stolen from his gate.

“M y neighbour’s car was stolen from his gate this (Tuesday) morning as he was getting ready for work. Man came out earlier, had a cigarette and his coffee, car was there. Went in, had a shower and dressed, ready to leave, car gone. Must be a dream, smh,” the post read.

Data from the Insurance Association of Jamaica (IAJ) indicates that between January and September last year, 957 stolen vehicle claims were made locally, already more than the total filed in 2023.

Some 953 claims were filed last year, 11 per cent more than the 862 claims in 2022.

There were 686 claims in 2021.

During a recent interview with The Gleaner, Peter Levy, vice-president of the IAJ, noted that the figures only reflect vehicles with theft coverage and do not include those covered by third-party insurance, which complicates the overall picture.

Levy also said the increase in claims drives up premiums for motor vehicle insurance.

andre.williams@gleanerjm.com