In this May 25, 2021 photo, police investigate a report of a white Land Rover stolen from a person at Cromwell and Laconia avenues on a Tuesday morning in Dongan Hills. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The number of car thefts on Staten Island has sky-rocketed over the past two years, amid upticks citywide and across the U.S.

On the borough’s East Shore and across several upscale Mid-Island neighborhoods in the NYPD’s 122nd Precinct, police have seen a 170% increase in grand larceny autos, compared to the same time last year, according to the city’s CompStat data.

The South Shore’s 123rd Precinct has seen a 127% increase, while the 121st Precinct — which encompasses the borough’s West Shore and part of the North Shore — has seen a 114% increase.

Meanwhile the 120th Precinct on the North Shore has seen a 39% jump.

But which makes and model years are being targeted most?

At an emergency homeowners’ meeting called earlier this month in response to a crime wave in the Todt Hill area, data collected by the office of District Attorney Michael E. McMahon showed the cars targeted most by thieves this year.

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From Jan. 1 through July 7, car thieves have taken 33 Hondas on Staten Island; the most of any make, the data shows.

During that same time period, 30 BMWs were stolen from borough residents.

Falling third on the list are Mercedes-Benz vehicles, of which 15 were taken boroughwide.

The other thefts, totaling 136, are spread across 33 different makes, including eight Range Rovers; eight Audis; eight Jeeps; nine Nissans and nine Dodges.

Law-enforcement data presented this month at an emergency homeowner's meeting in response to a recent crime wave shows the most commonly stolen vehicles on Staten Island so far this year. (Courtesy/RCDA)

Thieves are more commonly targeting vehicles that came off the line last year, officials say.

Thirty-six of the 214 vehicles reported stolen on Staten Island, as of July 7, were manufactured in 2021.

Twenty-eight were made in 2020, while another 28 were manufactured in 2019.

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Several older models also were targeted.

Eight vehicles manufactured in 2003 were taken, along with six made in 2006 and seven manufactured in 2008.

In terms of classic cars, officials say a vehicle made in 1985 and one from 1987 were stolen this year. The data, however, does not specify the makes and models.

Law-enforcement data presented this month at an emergency homeowner's meeting in response to a recent crime wave shows the most commonly stolen model years of vehicles on Staten Island so far this year. (Courtesy/RCDA)

Nationwide, older model years of Honda Civics and Honda Accords landed third and fourth, respectively, on the 2021 National Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB) list of most stolen vehicles.

Experts say the models are infamously easy to steal without a key.

According to a 2020 Motorbiscuit report, one way that Honda owners — those who are more mechanically savvy — can protect their cars is to “pull one of the relays or fuses that connect to the fuel pump or the starter” when they’re not driving it.

Hondas also have been targeted at alarming rates for their tires and catalytic converters, the Advance/SILive.com has reported.

The catalytic converters, located under the vehicle, are made of valuable metals and can be removed by skilled thieves in minutes.

Successful day canvassing with our interns on Lighthouse Hill & Historic Richmond Town to ask residents to please lock car doors & take the keys with you. With the rise in car thefts on SI, we are asking you to please be vigilant & protect your personal belongings. Stay safe, SI! pic.twitter.com/bKO2rhEkc9

In regard to luxury vehicle thefts on Staten Island, authorities have stated repeatedly that a majority of the incidents involved an unlocked vehicle, parked outside a home with the key fob left inside.

The cars typically are being targeted by crews of young people operating out of the Newark area, presumably working under an organized criminal network.

They use real estate websites to locate high-priced homes across several of the borough’s South Shore and Mid-Island neighborhoods. Often they can determine which cars are unlocked based on the automatic folding side mirrors. If the car is left unlocked — depending on the make and model — the mirrors are left sticking out.

In some instances, thieves have graduated to carjackings and home break-ins.

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