Darien police are advising the public that it’s becoming more frequent for thieves who check to see if vehicles are unlocked to also check to see if a house is unlocked.
It happened around Christmas on Fairfield Avenue, in a theft that led to the arrest of a 17-year-old Norwalk boy, and homes were entered twice overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, Jan. 9 to 10. Teenagers involved in these thefts and attempts at stealing can often be involved in more serious crimes elsewhere, the statement said.
Here’s a statement from Darien police, including details on the recent overnight incidents:
The town of Darien continues to experience an increase in overnight-hour burglaries into unlocked motor vehicles. This trend is not isolated to Darien as the majority of towns and cities in Fairfield County, and the State of Connecticut, continue to experience these incidents at increasing rates.
Many of these crimes are perpetrated by juvenile offenders who, when caught, inform police officers that it is common knowledge that towns like Darien are target-rich environments.
A more recent trend in Fairfield County is the occurrence of residential burglaries (the entry into, and intent to commit crime in, a residence) committed in conjunction with the ongoing motor vehicle burglaries.
Overnight Incidents
Last night (overnight hours of Wednesday to Thursday, Jan. 9, to 10) two such incidents occurred in the town of Darien.
In one incident, a resident was awoken to the sound of their car being stolen. The resident informed officers that the vehicle had been left unlocked with the keys inside. In addition, the suspect struck the second vehicle parked in the driveway in the commission of the theft.
In another incident, a resident was awoken to a sound they believed to be a family member arriving home. As the resident exited their bedroom, they observed an intruder in their home. Upon seeing the homeowner, the intruder immediately exited the home.
It would later be determined that the intruder had ransacked parts of the residence and taken several items. Additionally, both vehicles in the driveway had been entered. The homeowner informed officers that both the door to her residence where the intruder gained access, and her vehicles, had been left unlocked.
Several motor vehicle burglaries were discovered and reported this morning, Thursday, Jan. 10.
- In the overwhelming majority of these incidents, the vehicles and/or residences were left unlocked. The Darien Police Department continues to encourage residents to make themselves a “hard target” by simply locking their vehicle and/or residence. With the apparent increase in residential burglaries in Fairfield County, we don’t want Darien to be known as an easy target.
What You Can Do
The Darien Police Department remains committed to aggressively investigating the criminals who commit these crimes, but our greater concern is for the safety and security of our residents. We once again ask for Darien residents to take proactive measures to reduce the likelihood of being a victim of a burglary. Examples of simple steps:
* Lock Your Vehicle
* Remove the keys (in particular proximity keys) when exiting your vehicle
* Remove attractive valuables from your vehicle when exiting
* Do not store proximity keys in an area close to the associated vehicle
* Lock your Residence
* If applicable, arm your home security system (or consider installation)
* Consider the installation of security cameras
* Keep valuables away from doors/windows in your residence
If your residence has a security camera system, and it records anything out of the ordinary, please contact the Darien Police. Even if you are not the victim of a crime, you may have footage that is of interest to investigators.
The suspects that commit these crimes are often involved in other, more serious crimes. Vehicles stolen in Darien have been involved in more serious incidents in Fairfield County. By working together, we can make Darien less attractive to those who wish to come to our town and commit these dangerous acts.
As always, if you have concerns, information about an incident, or are the victim of a crime, please don’t hesitate to contact us.