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08/01/2017 12:00 AMRecent concerns of a potential uptick in criminal activity in town were discussed at a Board of Police Commissioners meeting held on July 25, but Chief of Police Thomas McLoughlin said that the department’s calls for service over the past three years have basically been flat.
“This year, it’s up a little bit from last year, but it’s also down from the year before,” said McLoughlin, “So these numbers…there’s no big deviation there.”
McLoughlin said at the meeting that with social media, more information is being shared, but there is also some misinformation being shared. He commented after the meeting that it’s like “the telephone game,” in which information can spread, but something may not have happened the way it may have been presented to someone.
One issue that was brought up was a recent problem regarding cars being entered around town. McLoughlin said that perpetrators are not breaking in by forced entry, meaning they are not breaking windows or popping locks, but are entering cars that are unlocked, and will even steal them if people leave their keys in the car.
“Some people leave the key fobs in the console, next thing you know they get in the car, push the button, and off they go,” said McLoughlin, “Some people leave their key keys in the car. It’s not the right thing to do.”
The incidents will typically happen between midnight and 5 a.m. according to McLoughlin, and he said other towns have been sharing concerns about cars being entered at night. He noted that Hamden police were able to arrest an individual who was entering cars and taking items.
One resident who attended the meeting on the 25th said he observed individuals trying to enter his vehicle on a camera he installed at his house, but the individuals moved on once they found it was locked.
McLoughlin said that incidents such as this tends to die down at times, and thinks that the individuals committing these acts will travel out to other towns, “cause havoc there,” and then find a way to sneak back in to town. He said it’s unfortunate, and a lot of the problems can be eliminated if residents take precautions.
Locking garages and sheds, taking keys out of the car at night, and having outdoor lighting or motion lights on are things that McLoughlin said would be helpful to residents looking to deter people from entering their cars.
Other area towns have attributed an uptick in crimes like burglaries and thefts from cars to a rise in opiate abuse, but McLoughlin said he can’t make a connection between opiates and the recent problems with car entries, citing cases that haven’t been solved yet.
The discussion at the July 25 meeting took place because McLoughlin had received an email from a concerned resident. McLoughlin said the department not only appreciates that, but embraces it.
“That’s what we want,” said McLoughlin, “That’s the partnership…those are the things that you want.”
To contact the North Haven Police Department for non-emergency issues, call 203-239-5321 or email email@northhavenpd.com.