Police Chief Heavey: Greenwich Residents Can Do More To Thwart Car Thefts

GREENWICH, CT — Eight cars were reported stolen from Greenwich driveways during the overnight hours between Saturday and Sunday, and police said all of the vehicles were left unlocked, and with the keys inside, at the time of the thefts.

Seven of the eight vehicles have been recovered, according to Greenwich Police Chief Jim Heavey, and two vehicles that were reported stolen in Hartford were recovered in Greenwich over the weekend.

The thefts led to a wild scene where police chased two of the teenage suspects that resulted in crashes, one near the reservoir near North Street, and one rollover crash just over the border in New York.

No injuries were reported, and three suspects from Hartford were arrested in the New York chase, and all were between the ages of 14 and 17, according to Heavey. The suspected thief in the reservoir crash got away, but Greenwich police hope to make additional arrests.

"Greenwich is one of the safest communities in the state," said Heavey during a press conference Monday at police headquarters. "But sadly, we have a bad reputation for being an easy target for car thieves. Not a single stolen car in Greenwich in over three years was the result of a break-in. All of them have were unlocked and with the keys inside."

Heavey is "imploring the public for their help" in preventing these thefts by locking vehicles and not leaving the keys inside.

It is a problem that is growing worse throughout town. In the first half of this year, 37 vehicles were reported stolen in Greenwich, which is up significantly from 21 vehicles reported stolen in town during the same period in 2016.

The problem is not unique to Greenwich. Both Darien and Westport have experienced similar car thefts in recent month.

In three instances, juvenile gangs from Hartford, Bridgeport and Waterbury have "bumped," or stolen, vehicles in Greenwich, mostly for joyriding, according to Heavey.

And while Greenwich police have a better than 95 percent recovery rate for stolen cars, the thieves often "beat the hell out of them" before they are found.

"These are crimes of opportunity, and it brings an unwelcome criminal element to our community" said Heavey.

The weekend thefts, which police said included two late model Mercedes-Benz SUVs, a BMW, a Land Rover, a VW Jetta and Jeep Grand Cherokee, occurred on:

• Shore Road
• Sawmill Lane
• Skyridge Road
• East Elm Street
• North Street
• Lock Lane
• Dingletown Road
• Milbank Avenue

"We need for residents to change their behavior," said Heavey. "This endangers the community."

Photo 1: Greenwich Police Chief Jim Heavey discussing the rash of car thefts that plagued the town over the weekend. Photo credit: Alfred Branch. Photo 2: Greenwich Police Det. Anthony Fiscella stands next to a damaged, recovered BMW that was stolen over the over the weekend in Greenwich; in the background is a stolen vehicle from Hartford that was recovered in Greenwich. Photo credit: Greenwich Police Department.