NYPD causing fake traffic jams to catch car thieves in Staten Island

New Jersey and New York police departments are using several tools to mitigate car theft.

Last year, the New York Police Department introduced GPS darts, a projectile that attach to cars and track its location. In February, the New Jersey town of Secaucus announced it will install plate-reading cameras in all of its entrances and exits.

And now, the NYPD has come up with a novel approach: deliberately creating traffic jams to ensnare car thieves.

More: New Jersey town to install cameras in all its entrances and exits to solve car theft

In an interview with Gothamist, NYPD Assistant Chief Joseph Gulotta said officers employ a tactic they call the "mitigation plan" which consists of closing down lanes to slow down traffic and get thieves stuck in the jam.

“What the mitigation plan calls for is closing down the bridges, shutting down parts of the highway, and then slowing that traffic down so there’s no place for the cars to go,” Gulotta told Gothamist.

The tactic, Gulotta said, is employed around the bridges in and out of Staten Island.

Once the traffic jam is in place, a NYPD aviation unit would guide police patrol cars toward the alleged car thief.

Often, cars stolen in Staten Island are used for crimes in New Jersey and vice versa. For this reason, since the end of 2023, NYPD has been collaborating with New Jersey officials to track down car thieves, Silive reported.

The collaboration consists of a system to exchange intelligence on which authorities can place alerts and track down criminals.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NYPD admits to causing fake traffic jams to catch car thieves