The car theft in Western New York has gotten out of control, and it seems to keep getting worse. 

It really doesn’t feel like anywhere is safe, with reports that car thieves are targeting Western New York gyms, public parking lots that may be where you park for your job, and more.

And if you live or work around the Amherst area, you have a reason to be concerned.

The Amherst Police Department has responded to 46 reports of larcenies from vehicles over the last few weeks, with reports of some criminals entering open garages in the daytime and driveways to go through vehicles.

It's scary to think someone can invade your personal space like that and have no remorse, but it continues to happen around Western New York.

Since there has been an increase in stolen vehicles throughout Western New York, community members have created a Facebook group to help one another in locating their vehicle. The group is called “WNY Stolen Vehicles,” and it has over 8,000 members. 

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The Facebook group may be a step to ending car theft in Western New York once and for all, but many people believe that there should be some kind of stricter punishment for car thieves. It is a violation of your privacy; it’s disrespectful to your belongings and your vehicle is a constant reminder that someone invaded your space. 

We asked you on our Facebook page at 106.5 WYRK how you think the thieves in Western New York should be punished, and the suggested punishments are definitely stricter. 

25 Punishments For Car Thieves In Western New York

After a poll on Facebook, here are some of the suggested punishments that the community feels would be appropriate for car thieves in Western New York.

Gallery Credit: Facebook Public Thread

Personally, I’m not sure how humane these suggested punishments are, but one thing is for sure: community members feel like something more needs to be done to prevent future car thefts in Western New York. 

How do you think they should be punished?

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Gallery Credit: Brett Alan

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