Cars With Keys Inside Stolen At An Increasing Rate: Guilford Police

GUILFORD, CT — Guilford Police said there has been a notable increase in vehicles stolen with keys in them during the overnight hours and personal items stolen from unlocked cars when pumping gas at the fuel pumps.

Police officials said purse snatchings and car theft suspects are using stolen cars that were taken with keys left in them and are attaching stolen plates to escape capture.

Even when law enforcement obtains the plates from videos, tracking down suspects takes time, police said.

Police officials said identifying those masked suspects also takes time and a lot of working with law enforcement partners behind the scenes.

Stolen cars are being used to commit other crimes around the state, police said, so if you lock your vehicles and take your keys, you are preventing other crimes from happening.

Guilford Police officials said the saying “lock it or use it” has become a mantra for all police agencies across Connecticut.

Guilford Police said the best defense against crimes of opportunity is removing valuables from vehicles and locking them, even while standing next to them.

Police officials said if you own certain models Kia and Hyundai, there are security risks with thefts due to a manufacturer’s design. These cars can easily be stolen after smashing the window and using simple equipment to turn the vehicle on.

Guilford Police says you should contact the manufacturer if you own one of these vehicles affected by the defect for repair and additional security devices.