Police in recent days received reports of four more vehicles stolen from New Canaan homes, including three unlocked with keys left inside.
At about 9 a.m. last Friday, officers responded to a complaint of two vehicles—a 2019 Infiniti Q60 and 2019 Audi A6—stolen from a driveway on Clapboard Hill Road.
“Additionally, the complainant informed officers that a set of golf clubs, house keys and garage door opener were inside one of the vehicles,” according to a press release issued by Police Chief Leon Krolikowski.
At 6:27 a.m. Monday, officers were dispatched to a West Road home where a complainant said a key ring that included keys to a 2020 Audi Q7 “were accidentally left in the house’s front door the prior evening.”
“The complainant stated that other than two car seats, nothing else of value was in the vehicle,” the press release said. (The SUV was recovered in Newark, N.J. at about 8:27 a.m. Monday, it said.)
Then at about 7 a.m. Monday, police received an unlocked 2020 BMW X5 with keys left inside it on Turtleback Road that had been stolen.
“A file box containing personal and business information, house keys, business keys, Swiss Army knives, a camping knife, jumper cables, prescription sunglasses, clothing, COVID masks, and an unmarked client location access badge were inside the stolen vehicle,” the chief said in the press release.
The thefts are the latest in a surge that’s hit New Canaan and surrounding towns. As of Monday, police this year investigated reports of 27 stolen vehicles and 43 thefts or attempted thefts from vehicles, the chief said.
“It is probable that these crimes are being committed by gang members,” he said in the press release. “Many towns in Fairfield County are experiencing similar crimes.”
Krolikowski issued the following crime prevention tips:
- KEYS: When unattended NEVER leave the key to your home or key/key fob to your car inside a vehicle or in a place where a thief can find them. Do not leave the valet key, key fob or garage door opener inside of your vehicle.
- SECURE VALUABLES: NEVER leave valuables in your vehicle. Often, identity theft occurs when drivers’ licenses and credit cards are stolen.
- ALWAYS LOCK YOUR VEHICLES.
Follow New Canaan Police on Twitter@newcanaanpolice for crime alerts. Contact NCPD at 203-594-3500 for assistance.
Wow—it would be much easier to hit the lock button on the key fob and take it as you exit a car vs. dealing with filing Police reports, insurance claims, changing home door locks, replacing stolen items, and more.
Why is this problem still happening day after day after day? Definition of insanity……
For those that haven’t figured this out, now several years into this exercise, modern car fobs release a signal. That signal can be picked up by thieves roaming the streets LOOKING FOR CARS W KEYS INSIDE. How many times do we have to politely explain that leaving keys in cars invites thieves into our neighborhoods? Invite them here and they will come back. Only it won’t be for your car, it will be for something more valuable and every other thing they can take. Or mine. Because you have invited them here to now follow our daily patterns. YOU are raising the stakes. Because you have invited them to come fish in a barrel. We are smarter than this.
I honestly cannot believe that people in our town are still so stupid that they leave their keys in the car. I hope the insurance companies deny their claim for being so dumb. When will people figure this out and NOT LEAVE KEYS IN THEIR CARS.