The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Area police battling increase in car thefts
Cops: These are crimes of opportunity
CROMWELL — Cromwell and Middletown police are addressing a spike in car thefts they say comes in waves when people don’t secure their vehicles, and organized groups target an area.
Following the arrest of two juveniles Wednesday in Cromwell, authorities are asking motorists to take measures to avoid becoming a victim.
Cromwell Police Capt. Fred Sifodaskalakis said a third suspect is still being sought in connection with that incident.
He said he has seen a spike this year and last.
Carjacking cases, during which suspects use force in taking an occupied vehicle, have not risen. Most often, these suspects are entering to steal unlocked, unoccupied cars.
Middletown Police Lt. Brian Hubbs explained that there are a number of reasons why there may be a spike in thefts. “These incidents come in waves for many reasons.”
During a Aug. 29 incident in the city, two suspects stole a car at the Valero Gas Station on South Main Street at 11 p.m., Hubbs said. The victim left the vehicle running in the parking lot when he ran into the store. It was recovered a short time later on North Main Street, unoccupied, he said.
“Many of the cases with video
evidence go unsolved because suspects are wearing masks to cover their identity,” Hubbs said. Since the pandemic, people in masks don’t stand out as suspicious, but it almost completely eliminates a positive ID.”
Certain thefts occur during extremely hot or cold months when people tend to start their cars to cool or warm them before driving, he said. “They leave cars running in their driveways and people capitalize on it.”
Other instances occur when crews target a particular city for a period of time before leaving once they feel they are close to getting caught.
“It’s a combination of being a crime of opportunity and a planned-out event with organized groups,” Hubbs said.
On the Shoreline, Madison is experiencing similar crimes.
“Absolutely we don’t want that occurring here in Cromwell,” Town Manager and former police chief Anthony J. Salvatore. The issue is concerning, he said, but there are a number of ways to protect one’s self from being a victim of crime.
“It’s also a reminder for individuals to be aware of your surroundings,” Salvatore added.
Prevention is key
Sifodaskalakis said the best advice has always been to lock one’s car doors and bring keys inside their home. “It’s been that way since I was a kid,” he said.
For individuals with key fobs and push-to-start cars, police advise they keep the device inside the house as far away from the vehicle as possible. Hubbs said that Middletown experienced a rise in such thefts at the beginning of the summer, and many of them were the result of owners leaving their fobs inside.
Garage doors and other entrances to the house should be locked as well.
Otherwise, Hubbs said, the best advice is to be vigilant and report anything suspicious to officials.
Police have also identified as signs of a potential car theft. “What we have historically seen is a getaway car following, slowly, an individual or groups of would be thieves through the area,” Hubbs said.
“A car driving slowly through an area at night should prompt the owners to watch for people walking nearby and to call the police to have us respond,” he added.
Hubbs also provided advice for motorists should they fall victim to a carjacking. The best course of action to prevent escalation by letting thieves steal it, as long as a child or other family member is not inside.
“Report the matter as quickly as possible, and try to get an accurate description of the suspect, direction of travel, the make/model of car with plate, and any specific things about the vehicle which might stand out to responding officers,” Hubbs said.