The Rye Police Department is warning residents to lock their cars after the sixth vehicle of the year was stolen last week, this one near Dearborn Avenue.
Lt. Michael Anfuso emphasized that even though car theft is trending down, the department is encouraging residents to take precautions. In 2023, he said there were 14 stolen cars reported over the course of the year — one of which still hasn’t been found.
“As summer’s approaching, we’ve seen a little uptick,” he said.
On June 21, police reported the stolen car from a private residence on Everett Street, which they say was taken at around 3 a.m. Anfuso told The Rye Record the owners had left their car unlocked with the keys inside, and they didn’t have a security camera. As of June 24, the car still hadn’t been recovered.
“We constantly are putting out posts on social media … but a lot of the times people aren’t hearing the message,” Anfuso said.
A similar incident occurred just three days earlier, on June 18. At about 2 a.m. on Allendale. Drive near the Hix Park neighborhood, investigators caught a suspect on video entering an unlocked vehicle — and then received a report of a stolen vehicle in the same neighborhood.
The June 18 suspect in the surveillance video — who was wearing gloves, a full mask, and hoodie — is still at large, Anfuso said. Meanwhile, he said, Rye police learned that the car has been used in “several commercial burglaries in the state of Connecticut.” Anfuso said the vehicle was recovered on June 24 in Waterbury, Conn., parked and unoccupied.
“This is why we warn people to lock their doors and bring keys in, because those vehicles more than likely are being used to commit crimes in other areas,” Anfuso said.
And even if police recover surveillance footage of a car theft, he said, it’s still difficult to track down a stolen car. They often go undetected, because thieves often switch plates or put fake temporary plate tags on the car, Anfuso said.
He said the main precautions people can take are keeping their keys and electronic key fobs with them, and making sure their vehicles are locked.
“It takes less than a minute to steal a car,” Anfuso said. “The only way we can combat this is if we are known as a city that is vigilant in locking up their vehicles and bringing in their valuables, and not making it easier for criminals to come in and take advantage of us.”
