In 2019, there were 55 reports of motor vehicle theft and 99 reports of theft from a motor vehicle in the Town of Greenwich. All the motor vehicle thefts involved the owner leaving the keys within the vehicle outside in their driveway. All but three cases of the theft from motor vehicles were unlocked vehicles.
The investigations of these crimes revealed most suspects are juveniles who reside outside of Greenwich. The tactic is simple and the same for juveniles or professional car thieves.
- · Come into a neighborhood.
- · Check to see if the car door is unlocked.
- · If so, step on the brake and push the button to see if it starts.
- · If it starts, they drive the car way. If not, they rummage through the car looking for valuables.
The perpetrators of these crimes are difficult to stop from coming into Greenwich since they are from other communities many miles away. Also, the patrol officers need a
reason to stop a vehicle traveling on the road. If the suspect doesn’t commit moving violations, there is little a patrol officer can legally do. Further, in October 2019, the Connecticut Legislators made changes to how Connecticut law enforcement agencies respond to non-violent property crimes, which makes the apprehension of the criminals of these property crimes even more difficult.
The best way to prevent, disrupt, and stop this crime is to Lock it or Lose it.