Southington police are investigating nearly a dozen "smash & grab" burglaries from vehicles across town.
The incident took place late Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning in both the northwest and central parts of Southington, according to police.
Victims told police one or more suspects smashed a window and then reached in through the broken window to grab items in the vehicle. It appears the suspects used a tool to break the windows, police said.
In all, about $600 in cash, as well as a wallet and a purse were stolen, according to police.
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It is believed that nine of the 11 vehicles involved were locked at the time of the burglaries, police said.
Many of the incidents were captured by surveillance cameras. Police said the same group of three or four suspects is responsible for the crimes. All are seen wearing dark-colored clothes, gloves, and face coverings.
Similar incidents have happened recently in other towns. Southington police and their Auto Theft Task Force are working with departments throughout the state to work to identify suspects, they said.
Local
Anyone who has been a victim of these crimes in Southington or who has video of suspicious activity is asked to send it to the Auto Theft Task Force by email at autotheft@southingtonpolice.org. Witnesses can also call Southington police at (860) 621-0101.
Southington police also provided a list of tips to help protect your valuables:
Park Smart
If at home, park in a well-lit area if possible. If at a business, park in a busy, well-lit area and avoid concealment from larger vehicles, fences, or foliage. Avoid parking in isolated and poorly lit areas.
Keep Your Vehicle Tidy
Thieves like to window shop! Avoid leaving anything visible in the car. Almost any item that's visible from the outside - even if you think it is worthless could be seen as valuable to a thief. Your spare change, sunglasses, even an empty bag (a thief may think there is something inside the bag) could be valuable in the mind of a thief.
Conceal All Proof
Stow your electronics and accessories well out of sight, or just take them along with you. The proof alone might be enough to pique the interest of thieves, including items such as power cords, adapters, and GPS windshield suction-cup mounts. If you remove the suction cup, make sure to wipe the ring off the windshield; it's a dead giveaway that you own a GPS.
Stash Before You Park
Get in the habit of putting items you want hidden in the trunk of your car before you arrive at your destination. Thieves will linger in busy parking lots looking for you to stash your valuable items.
Although nine of 11 of today’s thefts involved locked vehicles, these instances are rare and we still encourage everyone to also:
Lock Your Doors
A majority of car break-ins and thefts are from unlocked cars. Even if you are parked in front of your house, in your driveway or inside your garage, lock your doors. Criminals like to walk down the street and see if a car is unlocked, if it is they open the door and take whatever is
visible and move on to the next target. However, if the door is locked, they are more likely to move on.
Secure Your Vehicle
Roll your car windows up all the way and engage the car alarm, but do not depend on it as the only way to deter a thief. A car thief can break into your car and be out in about 30 seconds, fast enough that an alarm doesn't scare most of them away.
