Affluent communities in Monmouth County have become the focus of car thieves, according to county law enforcement officials.

Sheriff Shaun Golden says that often times it is the car’s owner who is making it easier for their vehicles to be stolen.

“If these individuals have an easy time with open cars and key fobs in the car, they are going to keep coming back,” he says.

Recent crime statistics show that the number of car thefts in Monmouth County has skyrocketed since the beginning of 2017. Golden says that there were 73 reported car thefts in the first half of 2017, with the number rising to 157 in the second half.

There have been 18 reported thefts in the first three weeks of 2018. Golden says that the thefts have all been high-end cars.

“These are not high-crime rate areas, which is why people might feel they can leave their key or key fob in the car overnight,” the sheriff says. “We’re asking them, please remove the key fob, lock the car and set the alarm.”

Some Monmouth County residents say that leaving key fobs in vehicles can also lead to accidental thefts.

"I actually drove away from a parking lot with somebody's car because they left the key fob and I had the same car as them and I got in the car and drove away,” says Colts Neck resident Allison Braunstein.

Braunstein says she realized the mistake about 20 minutes later and returned the car to the rightful owner.

Sheriff Golden says that any resident who believes that they see anything suspicious is urged to call their local police department to report the potential crime.