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Greenwich Police said the activity was first seen in Westchester County and is now occurring in Greenwich.
On Wednesday, Feb. 22, car thieves entered a home in the back county section of Greenwich to take the homeowner's keys to steal the car from the garage, Greenwich Police said.
When they entered the house, they triggered the alarm and fled. The thieves then went to a residence on Round Hill Road near the Westchester border and stole two vehicles from the driveway with the keys left inside, police said.
Greenwich Police detectives recovered the cars a few hours later in New Jersey. No arrests were made, and the case is under investigation.
The majority of suspects stealing cars in Greenwich are from out of state, the department said.
In response to the new trend, the department has assigned detectives to task forces in New York and New Jersey to identify and arrest the subjects committing car thefts in the town.
"We have improved our communication channels with Westchester County Police and now have direct and real-time communication abilities with their agency," the department said.
Extra patrols have been added at times, and in the areas of Greenwich, the car thieves have frequently been operating. In addition, police said the department is leveraging available technology and utilizing all investigative measures in each case.
They are also reminding residents to remove the keys from their vehicles and ensure they are locked, even in their garages. The doors and windows for their garages, as well as their homes, should also be locked.
"We urge residents not to keep their keys in sight of windows or doors, such as on a key hook or basket next to an entrance," the department said.
When not home, alarms, if equipped, should be armed and use the "stay" mode when home during the overnight hours.
Never engage or contact anyone suspicious persons on your property; instead, contact 911 immediately for a rapid police response.
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