Common sense can avert vehicle burglaries

As summer moves along, motor vehicle burglaries and motor vehicle thefts have occurred in Avon and surrounding communities.

These incidents generally occur during overnight hours and are perpetrated by small groups who are dropped off in a neighborhood, often in a stolen vehicle. They go driveway to driveway, checking for unlocked vehicles. When they find an unlocked vehicle, they look for valuables such as GPS, cellphones, electronics, money, sunglasses, etc. If they find keys in the vehicle, they steal the vehicle too.

These groups almost never break vehicle windows or use any other means to force entry into cars. Breaking in by forced entry is time-consuming and causes unwanted attention.

The Avon Police Department encourages vehicle owners to lock valuables. Those with keyless or fob start ignition systems should check their vehicles to see if the car can be started in the driveway while the fob is in the home.

In some cases, it has been reported that vehicles have been stolen from a driveway while the fob is in close proximity to the vehicle — such as inside the house on a table by the front door, or hanging on a key hook inside the garage.

The single most important preventative measure to stop these crimes is to lock your vehicle and take your keys with you. This simple step can prevent you from being victimized and will lessen occurrences of this type in our community.

Please contact the Avon Police Department at 860-409-4200 for more information or if you have any questions about vehicle burglaries and/or thefts.

Contributor — Avon Police Department