Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin is calling for a coordinated strategy to reduce car thefts in the wake of several committed by juveniles and young adults.
Bronin plans to convene a meeting with regional and state leaders on March 1 to address a recent increase in stolen cars and vehicle fatalities.
“This is clearly a trend that is growing and that is taking lives,” Bronin said.
The announcement came Wednesday, just two days after the death of Reny Alfonzo-Jimeno.
The 22-year-old Hartford woman was killed and two other people were hurt when the driver of a stolen pickup fled after a crash at the intersection of Ward and Zion streets in Hartford late Monday.
“You saw the absolute tragic end of what this is causing,” said Deputy Chief Brian Foley, of the Hartford Police Department.
Just hours after that fatal crash, Hartford police responded to another stolen car crash after a vehicle plowed into a brick pillar at Trinity College, injuring three teenagers.
On Wednesday, police were out again on Farmington Avenue where a stolen vehicle crashed into a fence.
“All the sudden I see someone getting restrained on my front lawn,” David Steinberg said.
A look at the latest police “hot sheet,” breaks down 55 active stolen car investigations over recent weeks in the greater Hartford area and it shows 38 of the thefts happened when the keys or key fobs were in the car.
“We are just begging people, do what you can and don’t leave your keys in the vehicle,” Foley said.
While that might cut down some of the cases, Bronin knows it will not eliminate them. With these incidents often crossing town boundaries, he hopes having local leaders in one room can lead to a more permanent solution.
“That's one of the reasons we are pulling everyone together is to just have a very open, honest conversation about what can we do better collectively,” Bronin said.
