In New York City, a mysterious gang of thieves has been stealing from small business owners by forcefully removing ATMs using vans and tow chains or by simply carrying them out of stores, as captured in videos.
According to the United Bodegas of America (UBA) trade group, at least 49 businesses have fallen victim to this crime spree, prompting the association to offer a $5,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of the burglars. The term “bodega” is commonly used to refer to convenience stores or small grocery shops in the city.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) disclosed that their investigators suspect the culprits are a trio who employ stolen vehicles to commit these thefts, which have been recorded in a minimum of 25 out of the city’s 78 precincts.
New York Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch hold a press conference on Dec. 19, 2024 in New York City. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
The ATM thieves remain at large.
Joseph Giacalone, a former NYPD sergeant and a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said the new guidelines do not actually present a major shift, however.
“The policy has always been that way – it’s up to the patrol supervisor to cancel any vehicle pursuit based on certain factors [as] written in the patrol guide,” he told Fox News Digital. “She’s putting it out there to let everybody know – it was already there, but to reinforce it eventually, the New York City Council will go full Chicago and ban all pursuits, including foot pursuits. It’s only a matter of time.”
Even as the pendulum appears to have begun swinging back toward a tough-on-crime approach across the U.S., he warned that some blue city leaders are not on board yet.
An NYPD vehicle is seen in Times Square in New York City on Oct. 24, 2022. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“The messaging may have changed with the voting in regards to how people feel about what they want the police to do in the United States, but the cities are in firm hands with the defend the police, abolitionist crowd,” he said.
While the announcement on its pursuit policy has been criticized, the NYPD made another big change this week – upping patrols on overnight subway cars days after the chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority told residents that transit crime was just in their heads.
“The NYPD will be rolling out the ambitious plan to put two officers on every overnight train in phases,” the department announced Thursday. “Phase 1 will officially begin on Monday and include the first 100 officers. Additional phases will be rolled out over the coming weeks with the expectation that the full operation will be complete by the end of the month.”
Police have released surveillance video showing two of the suspects hauling an ATM out of a store. The UBA also shared video showing them ripping a wall down with a chain attached to the back of a van before stealing another one.
Police are asking for the public’s help identifying the thieves.
“It was reported to the police that between Thursday, September 19, 2024, and Thursday, December 26, 2024, there have been a total of 49 incidents involving three unidentified individuals who removed vehicles and license plates,” an NYPD spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “The individuals then used these stolen vehicles to travel to commercial establishments where they forcibly entered and removed ATMs and other property. The individuals fled the locations in various vehicles.”
