Qns. is car-theft king

If you're heading into Queens, maybe it's better to leave the car behind.

An average of eight cars a day get snatched off the streets of the borough's leafy neighborhoods -- making it the auto-theft capital of the Big Apple.

And the number of cars disappearing in the borough has been steadily climbing.

So far this year, 3,037 cars have been stolen, an increase of 9.2 percent since last year, according to NYPD Compstat figures released Nov. 9.

The dismal borough stats represent 34 percent of the total number of vehicles stolen citywide.

City Councilman Peter Vallone of Queens, the council's Public Safety Committee chairman, attributes the upswing to a diminishing police presence in the area.


"Our precincts are staffed at half the level they were 10 years ago," Vallone said. "Cops are doing the best they can, but there just aren't enough troops."

The borough's accessibility to major highways and bridges also makes it a top pick for thieves, Vallone said.

When hunting for vehicles, goons are most likely to target Honda Civics and Accords, the top two cars stolen in the city, records show.

The next three vehicle makes most likely to be stolen are the Nissan Maxima, Toyota Camry and Ford Econoline van, according to the NYPD.

When crooks don't take an entire car, they'll take its wheels and rims, authorities said. Lately, there have been reports of several car-stripping incidents in Astoria and Bayside.

Bayside resident Adam Schachter said he woke up Oct. 21 to find the tires of his 2010 Acura swiped.

"I felt violated. I just saw a skeleton of a car sitting on milk crates with no wheels on it," Schachter said. "I think it's scary and unfortunate that people have to worry about this."

Police said there isn't a ring linked to any of the thefts and many of the incidents appear to be the work of small-time criminals.

In an effort to combat the spree, NYPD has beefed up its night patrols, and cops are now stopping tow trucks to check whether they are legitimately hauling off vehicles, according to an NYPD spokesperson.

Despite Queens' car-theft woes, the department added, the number of autos being stolen has dropped 1.6 percent citywide so far this year compared to the same period last year.