3 Car Thefts In Chatham Since Jan. 1: Police

CHATHAM, NJ — Police in both Chatham Borough and Township have put residents on alert about the uptick in recent car thefts.

Chatham Borough Police reported on Wednesday that as of Jan. 1, there have been three cars stolen from the borough, two on the same day.

In two of the three cases, according to the Chatham Borough Police Department “the vehicles were unlocked and running to warm up the interiors when they were taken.”

To curtail the possibility of car thefts, Chatham Borough Police recommended residents:

• Lock their car doors after parking and leaving them
• Take all valuables and spare keys from their vehicles

Chatham Township Police Department repeated this information to their residents, citing a statistic from the Morris County Police Chiefs Association, that minimally one car is stolen daily within the county:

In Chatham Township, Detective Muta Blanford received an “Exceptional Duty” award at the end of 2021, for his role in helping to solve three home burglaries and multiple car thefts.

Blanford began working with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office on the car theft cases, after the Morris County Auto Theft Task Force (ATTF) was formed, because of a rise in car thefts countywide between 2018 and 2020.

In the cases, Blanford helped trace multiple home burglaries and car thefts in Chatham Township to Elijah Lott, 23, who was sentenced in September after he ended up pleading guilty on a nine-count indictment.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.