The latest datafrom the FBI shows auto thefts in Connecticut rose from about 5,000 in 2019 to more than 7,500 in 2020.
Eight police departments in Fairfield County, Connecticut, joined forces this month to fight a recent jump in car thefts.
Lieutenant David Wolf, a spokesperson for the Westport Police Department, said the task force will allow departments to share data on investigations and police operations in progress.
“We are all experiencing these high levels of break-ins and thefts. We want to come up with a coordinated way of investigating these cases and the best way to do that is by working together. Then we are sharing information in real time and that’s what it’s all about,” Wolf said.
Sgt. Sean Scanlan, a member of Stamford’s Property Crimes Unit, reminded residents that they can prevent car thefts themselves.
“The biggest problem we have is that people don’t lock their car doors and they leave their keys in the car,” Scanlan said. “That’s one of [the] biggest things, as a PR thing, that every department is trying to get out there, is that if you just lock your car, 99% of the time they will just bypass it and move on to something that is an easier target.”
The task force consists of police departments in Stamford, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Darien, Fairfield, Westport and Bridgeport.
