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06/13/2023 12:21 PMThe Police Department is reminding residents to lock their vehicles after a rash of car thefts and break-ins last earlier this month.
According to police, three different vehicles were stolen in the early morning hours of June 6 in different parts of town, and other vehicles had items that were stolen throughout several neighborhoods.
According to a police statement, all the stolen cars had the keys in them. One vehicle was totaled as the thief crashed into other cars in the driveway while trying to escape.
Deputy Chief Chris Massey urged residents to understand how to prevent this statewide problem. Simply locking the vehicle and removing items that could entice thieves is the simplest and most direct way of countering this growing crime.
“This is part of an ongoing trend that we are seeing all over the state. Unfortunately, in these situations, we are seeing unlocked cars that are being left accessible to these bad actors who are coming into town. We are really relying on the public to work with us on this. We want folks to alert us if they see anything unusual,” said Massey.
According to Massey, a main factor in fomenting this continuing trend of car theft are vehicles that are left unlocked and, in the case of last week’s thefts, with the keys inside.
“A majority of the thefts that we’ve had over the last few years are vehicles that have had the keys left in them. It’s easy to do, people are busy, and it’s easy to forget, but residents really need to change their behavior with this. We post almost every day about the need to lock your cars and take your keys, and we really want to get this message out more effectively,” said Massey. “It’s frustrating on our part because we want to try and be proactive as possible. We are the type of police department that always tries to do things better and try to improve our operations, but in this type of crime, we really are depending on the public to help us out and lock their cars. We are making it too easy for criminals to come into town and do this.”
In a statement on their social media site, the department said that criminals take advantage of the very aspect that residents love about their town.
“These thefts happen in seconds. We can’t be everywhere…The best defense is a solid offense. These criminals know Guilford is a beautiful, trusting community, and they exploit that trust by stealing from cars or taking the whole car if keys are left in them. Take your stuff, take your keys, and lock those cars…. Every time you park it… at home, at the gas station, at the gym, at the supermarket, at the trailhead, at the beach…Everywhere…. Every time…”
Guilford Chief of Police Butch Hyatt said prevention efforts do work, as he and his officers have reviewed surveillance video where criminals attempting thefts simply head to the next vehicle when deterred by a locked car.
“We’ve seen this crime over and over in which the keys are left inside vehicles or left unlocked and items stolen from inside cars,” said Hyatt. “When these cars are being stolen out of driveways in the middle of the night, this is ordinarily the reason-unlocked cars. We are trying to inform people and let people know about this as best we can. And we have a lot of success stories, where we’ve got video of people walking into a driveway, trying a car, finding it locked, and leaving. People are using a good effort and heeding the warning.”
Hyatt empathized with the department’s contention that thieves target “safe” communities such as Guilford for that very reason-people feel safe and become indifferent about potential property crimes and make themselves a target when they do.
“Guilford is a safe place, and that’s why these guys target a community like Guilford, Madison, and other shoreline towns because they know residents consider it a safe town. They know people get complacent, and that’s what they’re hoping for and what their goal is, and to take advantage of that. So, lock your cars-that is the single best thing you can do.”
Hyatt added that residents should never confront thieves and leave the police work to the professionals.
“And please don’t confront these individuals if you happen to catch them in your yard. Call us immediately. We’ve had other incidents in other parts of the state where these criminals were armed, and we certainly do not want someone getting hurt over an entry to their car.”