Greenwich PD: An Uptick in Car Thefts

Greenwich Police say they are investigating an uptick in motor vehicle thefts in town this summer.

"There have been eight motor vehicle thefts this summer. There were six for the same time period last year," said police spokesman Lt. Kraig Gray. Since June 1, thieves have targeted "high-end, new cars as well as average mid-sized, older cars from different parts of town ... a brand new Land Rover and Porsches to older cars," Gray explained.

According to Gray, there isn't a pattern to the timing of the thefts that have occurred at night and during the daytime. Some cars have been left unlocked. In one instance, the owner of a late model Range Rover had left the keys inside the SUV while he shopped inside a Mason Street store on June 29.

Gray said that one of the missing vehicles is a box truck, stolen from Riverdale Avenue on the western end of town on June 16.

On July 7, a car was reported stolen while parked at The Delamar, 500 Steamboat Rd. Other recent thefts include a car stolen from Stirrup Lane in the Riverside section of town, reported on July 8, and a car reported stolen about 10 a.m. from the Putnam Green coop complex on Milbank Avenue on July 11.

"We have some investigative leads and we are working with other law enforcement agencies. Some of the thefts may be tied to thefts from motor vehicles," Gray said. "They get in a car to steal electronics or cash and see the keys inside."

Gray said all residents should take the common sense approach: keep valuables hidden, the vehicles locked and don't leave the keys inside, even if the car is in the driveway.