The Town of Greenwich and the surrounding New York area are experiencing a new trend in car theft activity. Car thieves are committing burglaries to take the homeowner's car keys to steal their vehicle. This activity was first seen in Westchester County and is now occurring in Greenwich.
On February 22, 2023, at approximately midnight, car thieves entered a home in the back county section of Greenwich to take the homeowner's keys to steal their car from the garage. When they entered the house, they triggered the alarm and fled. The thieves then went to a residence on Round Hill Rd near the New York border. The thieves used a garage door opener from an unlocked vehicle in the driveway to open the garage door. The thieves entered the garage, grabbed two sets of keys, and stole the vehicles from victim's driveway. Greenwich Police Detectives recovered the cars a few hours later in New Jersey. No arrests were made, and the case is under investigation.
The majority of suspects stealing cars in Greenwich are from out of state. In response, the Greenwich Police Department has assigned Detectives to task forces in New York and New Jersey to identify and arrest the subjects committing car thefts in our area. We have improved our communication channels with Westchester County Police and now have direct and real-time communication abilities with their agency. Extra patrols have been added at times, and in the areas of Greenwich, the car thieves have frequently been operating. We are leveraging available technology and utilizing all investigative measures in each case. Lastly, we are in constant contact and update Stamford Superior Court with our investigations. We will continue to do everything we can to disrupt, identify, and arrest those persons committing car thefts in the Town of Greenwich.
We remind residents to remove the keys from their vehicles and ensure they are locked, even in their garages. The doors and windows for their garages, as well as their homes, should be locked. We urge residents not to keep their keys in sight of windows or doors, such as on a key hook or basket next to an entrance, and if possible hide garage door opener remotes. When not home, alarms, if equipped, should be armed and use the "stay" mode when home during the overnight hours.
Never engage or contact anyone suspicious persons on your property; instead, contact 911 immediately for a rapid police response.