Car Burglars Startled By Long Valley Residents: Police

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Three car thefts or burglaries didn’t happen, thanks to the swiftness of residents chasing away the people making the break-in attempts, according to the Washington Township Police Department.

Over the past several months, the police department has reported periodically about car thefts and break-in attempts that have happened in Long Valley and Washington Township, especially during the nighttime hours.

This past Sunday, the police department alerted social media followers that again, they have received recent calls of attempts being made to enter residents' cars.

In three of the cases, the police department wrote, the break-ins were stopped in their tracks after the residents noticed the attempts from their surveillance cameras.

“The three reports we had,” the police wrote, “the people were scared off by the homeowner after being seen on household camera systems.”

The police department used the post as a reminder to residents, to lock their cars and not leave valuables in them.

“We are keeping our patrols focused on residential areas, but it is easy for people to hide in the darkness,” they wrote.

Any resident or business owner who captures any suspicious activity on video within Washington Township and Long Valley, should reach out to the police department, they said.

As issues are happening, they should also call 911, Washington Township Police Department wrote. The police department can additionally be contacted at 908-876-3232.

To follow the Washington Township Police Department’s Facebook Page for updates, go to www.facebook.com/wtpdmorris or Twitter www.twitter.com/WTPDMC.

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