The Berlin Police Department is working to provide valuable information to homeowners after announcing a substantial uptick in car break-ins and thefts.
There is a growing feeling of irritation and violation among Berlin homeowners.
"At first it was theft and then they were starting to steal cars so it's progressively gotten worse," Ernest Mazzarella said.
Kayla Plourde has lived in Berlin with her husband for three years. She tells NBC Connecticut that the thieves appear to be catching people when they're least expecting it.
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"Multiple vehicles, stopping at once, one person getting out of the car so it's been quite a few attempts," said Plourde. "It's definitely been quite scary a few times, we've woken up to cameras going off in the middle of the night."
Berlin homeowners say they're in favor of Berlin's Police Department working with communities around town and establishing 12 neighborhood watch groups.
"We try to help neighbors work together and keep an eye on one another and just help bolster the community," said Peter Zarabozo who helped establish a neighborhood watch near his street.
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Zarabozo said that his motivation is similar to what others say they've experienced.
"One of our neighbors actually had their car handles checked and a little bit further down in the neighborhood on Ellsworth Boulevard there was a car stolen," said Zarabozo.
Berlin police say they're trying to improve community outreach by keeping people up to date on the latest crime trends and establishing those watch groups.
"We as a department want to help our residents and we want to involved them a little bit more and we share an echo their frustration," said Officer Aimee Krzykowski. "We want to make sure people know not to take matters into their own hands but to first call us and then share that information with their neighbors."
Police ask that the public take all of their valuables out of the car at night including their keys, lock their doors and close their garage.
