GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom told 13 ON YOUR SIDE that the department is investigating a slew of car thefts overnight in Grand Rapids.
Through the investigation, they're looking to see if they can connect the three individuals involved in the crash of a stolen car Sunday night to the other thefts.
Police said the crash happened just before 3 a.m. Monday at the intersection of Michigan Street and Lafayette Avenue. Officers had noticed a white Kia speeding and driving recklessly but did not pursue the vehicle.
The Kia later allegedly ran a red light at the intersection and crashed into a police cruiser going through a green light.
Chief Winstrom said all four people in the crash were not seriously injured. The three juveniles in the stolen vehicle were taken into police custody.
He said young kids who steal cars have different motives today than they did years ago. In the past, cars would be stolen and sold for profit. Now, they’re being taken for joyrides.
“What we've seen with the young kids in our community is that they will steal a car, drive it to another car, which looks fun to drive, get out, steal that car, and continue that pattern,” he said. “Where a small group of kids might steal five, 10 cars in a very short period of time do a lot of damage. So, we don't know how many thefts quite yet these three were responsible for, but we do think that they were part of the problem last night.”
He said a draw for young kids to steal cars is to make content for social media.
“It's taken our profession and law enforcement a little time to sort of catch up and to see how we can better prevent car theft when we just have a whole different set of, you know, people violating the law, which by and large is young people, and different set of motivations for them,” he said.
Chief Winstrom said he wants to shake the image that people who commit crimes like this one won’t be held accountable.
“As we identify the kids and some adults who are engaging this behavior, it's important for us to hold them accountable and to get the word out, Grand Rapids is not the place you want to be stealing cars or driving recklessly, because we will catch you,” he said. “We will hold you accountable.”
This year, auto thefts in the city are down 43%, he said. The city is heading in the right direction, but he said last night’s spree shows there’s still more work to be done.
Being proactive is the best form of protection against car thefts. Making sure vehicles are secure and locked helps prevent “easy” thefts. Chief Winstrom also encourages wheel locks.