New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski said the department is investigating reports of dozens of motor vehicles entered—and one stolen early this morning—during what appears to be an overnight crime spree.
Though it wasn’t immediately clear what type of car was stolen, all the cars entered had been unlocked, the chief said. The cars were located on Urban Street, East Avenue, Canoe Hill Road, Carter Street, Brushy Ridge Road, Glen Drive, Rosebrook Road and Jelliff Mill Road, police said.
“The stolen vehicle had its keys left inside the vehicle,” Krolikowski said in a press release.
New Canaan last July saw nearly two dozen illegal car entries—thought to be the work of one gang—and then saw four more during trick-or-treating on Halloween.
Krolikowski said police are “confident that we will soon arrest the criminals responsible for these crimes we urge the New Canaan Community to follow good crime prevention practices.”
Those include:
- Keys: Never leave the keys to your home or car inside a vehicle or in a place where a thief can find them.
- Light up your home and driveway: At night, keep the perimeter of your home & driveway well lit. Low energy lighting switched on and off by photoelectric sensors (low light switches) is a cost-effective way to discourage criminals.
- Lock up: Always lock all doors and windows of your car and home whenever you leave, day or night, even for a short time. If you have a garage, put your car in it and lock/alarm both the car and the garage.
- Secure valuables: Never leave valuables in your vehicle.
- Use your alarm system: Always activate your home and car alarm systems. Many successful crimes that occur in our Town involve houses or cars that have alarm systems that were not activated.