Thousands of dollars worth of electronic devices, including GPS units, have been stolen from parked vehicles in town, police said Tuesday.
Police said many of the thefts could have been avoided because people didn’t lock their cars or close their windows.
In the last few months there have been more than two dozen thefts, mostly on the eastside of town along Skokorat Street, Bunting Road and Briarwood Drive. The thefts have taken place in cars parked outside single family homes, police said.
Lt. Paul Satkowski, police department spokesperson, said none of the cars were broken into, but thieves made off with GPS (global positioning systems), cell phones, iPods, along with other electronic devices.
Purses containing money have also been lifted.
Satkowski said the thefts happened during late night or early morning hours.
“It just hasn’t been GPS units that are being taken. The thieves are taking anything of value they see in the vehicle,’’ he said.
Satkowski said he believes the items were stolen and sold on the street, pawned, or traded for drugs. He said that police thought they had solved the thefts with the arrest of two men on Sept.1, but that the thefts have continued.
On Sept. 1, police charged Stephen Verity, 18, of Beacon Falls and Michael Kifer, 19, of West Haven, in connection with previous thefts.
Satkowski said they were arrested after a neighbor saw them on Cedar Street and called police. Some of the stolen equipment has been recovered and that the charges against the two are still pending, police said.
Satkowski said police are now following several leads into who may be responsible for recent thefts.
Ansonia and Derby saw a rash of similar thefts during the summer.
The Meridian Police Department in Idaho tracked car burglaries in their town in 2004 (click here to download the department’s newsletter on the subject).
Among their findings:
- The offender was usually between 12 and 17 years old
- The offender usually had no prior criminal record
- The offender lived in or near the neighborhood where the car burglaries happened
- The crimes happened between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Seymour police offer the following tips to keep your valuables safe:
1. Remove all valuable equipment from your vehicle nightly and take into the house.
2. Make sure all of your windows are closed and doors locked.
3. Install motion sensor lights on the outside of your home.
4. Keep an eye on your neighbor’s home and report any suspicious activity.
5. Call the police department immediately if you hear any strange noise or see any strange activity.
Police said do not confront anyone if you see a suspect. Instead call 911 or the police department at (203) 881‑7600.
