Trumbull car thefts drop after 2020 spike
TRUMBULL — The number of car thefts and incidents of stealing from vehicles in Trumbull declined last year after more than doubling in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, while shoplifting and other petty thefts have continued to drop even after stores reopened.
Reports of theft from vehicles increased by about 164 percent — 112 to 296 — between 2019 and 2020, according to Trumbull police data that excludes December 2019 figures. Car theft calls for service also more than doubled from 22 to 53 during the same time.
Yet car theft and stealing from vehicles declined in 2021, and continued to drop by the end of this summer, the data ending in August shows.
Shoplifting incidents and other petty larceny theft had already dropped by about 7 percent — from 725 in 2019 to 677 in 2020, according to Police Chief Michael Lombardo. That drop continued in 2021 with 568 incidents reported, according to police data. As of August 2022, 395 shoplifting and larceny incidents have been reported, according to the data, which is about half of that of the year before the pandemic.
Trumbull police spokesperson Lt. Brian Weir said when retailers closed in 2020, it took away opportunities to shoplift. Instead, people have stolen from the parked cars of those enjoying outdoor activities at places like the Pequonnock Valley Greenway, Weir said.
“People go out to the parks and stuff now because they’re not stuck in the office 9 to 5,” Weir said. “They might be able to work from home and then they go out to get some exercise.”
Trumbull police said in almost all theft from vehicle incidents, owners left doors unlocked.
“There’s no broken glass to indicate the window was smashed to gain entry, there’s no pry marks on the door frame,” Weir said.
Lombardo said the department has warned residents on social media and in television broadcasts to lock their cars. Police have also recommended for people who have installed cameras at their properties to set up alerts, he said.
“I’m not trying to blame the victims here,” Lombardo said. “But what I’m saying is we encourage people to safeguard their property.”
First Selectman Vicki Tesoro said local officials made robocalls to residents early in the pandemic reminding them to lock their cars.
“Overall we see that these numbers have start to come down,” Tesoro said. “Trumbull’s a very safe community. And I attribute that to our police department, our first responders, obviously who are out there doing their jobs everyday to keep us all safe.”
Police data shows that total crime cases in Trumbull spiked from 868 to 1,060, about 22 percent, between 2019 and 2020, but dropped by roughly the same rate last year. Simple assault last year also dropped by about a quarter, from 194 to 143, according to data from the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.
Meanwhile, burglaries went down from 44 to 34 between 2019 and 2020, but increased to 47 last year.
The state agency’s data showed nine cases in Trumbull of aggravated assault, 14 cases of robbery and two cases of rape last year. It also reported seven cases of aggravated assault, nine cases of robbery and six cases of forcible rape in 2020.