Minneapolis outdoes ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’

If you recall the plot from the 2000 Nicholas Cage car theft movie, our hero is originally tasked with stealing 50 cars in a 72-hour period. That works out to a little under 17 cars per day.

Minneapolis has outdone Mr. Cage. So far in 2023, Minneapolis has seen 7,769 auto thefts, according to the city’s official crime dashboard. That works out to a little over 21 per day, or nearly one per hour, with five days to go in the year.

The city blew by the previous annual record (set just last year) back in September, and has been running up the score ever since.

To the extent that there is good news in this, carjackings are down for the year, as thieves have turned to a less-confrontational style amid a Federal crackdown.

Just last week, a federal court sentenced a Ramsey man to over 10 years in prison for carjacking a Nissan and stealing a Maserati, among other makes.

The state’s Attorney General, Keith Ellison, blames the cars themselves for getting themselves stolen.

It will be hard to top the 2023 record, but I’m sure the city’s crooks will give it a go.