New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski on Monday urged town residents to be vigilant after criminals entered more than one dozen cars in neighboring Darien overnight Sunday and stole four vehicles.
“The suspects are usually career criminals and can be dangerous and armed,” Krolikowski said.
New Canaan in February saw dozens of vehicles here entered illegally on one night, and one SUV stolen. Last summer, motor vehicle thieves hit New Canaan repeatedly.
Darien Police reported Monday that at least 14 unlocked vehicles parked at homes in the Noroton Bay neighborhood had been entered overnight, possibly by teenagers or young men from Hartford looking to steal nice cars for joy riding. Four vehicles with keys left inside them were taken sometime before dawn Monday morning, with one found around the corner from where it was parked, two others found (by 1 p.m.) in Hartford and the fourth still missing, police said. At about 1 p.m., Darien police learned from Hartford police that officers in that city stopped one of the vehicles with three young men or teenagers in it, and charges are expected to be filed against at least one of them.
Often financial information—checks, bank cards—is stolen during these thefts, which leads to identity theft and bank fraud crimes.
Here are some tips from Krolikowski to help residents beat these thieves:
- Be a Good Neighbor: Report suspicious persons or vehicles immediately to our Department via 203-594-3500 or via 911 if you see a crime in progress. Crime prevention is the best cure.
- Do Not Leave Valuables or Financial Information In Your Car: Never leave valuables, a purse, wallet or financial information in your car-even just for a few minutes. Thieves often watch vehicles and strike when you leave your vehicle only for a few minutes.
- Keys: Never leave the keys to your home or car inside a vehicle or in a place where a thief can find them. Keys placed in “secret” hiding places may invite a crime. Thieves know where to look for hidden keys.
- Light Up Your Home: At night, keep the perimeter of your home well lit. Low energy lighting switched on and off by photoelectric sensors (low light switches) is a cost-effective way to discourage thieves. Often thefts from vehicles occur in residential driveways.
- Lock Up: Always lock all doors and windows of your vehicle whenever you leave it, even for a short time.
- Park In Well-Lit, Public Areas: Avoid parking your vehicle in isolated areas where there is not much traffic. Thefts in New Canaan often occur in parking lots or areas of our parks that are isolated.
- Use Your Alarm System: Always activate your alarm system, even when you are at home, and whenever you leave your house or vehicle—even for a short time. Many successful thefts that occur in our Town involve houses or vehicles that have alarm systems that were not activated.
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