As most residents are hopefully aware by now, since the beginning of the year there has been an increase of stolen vehicles across the tri-state area, with North Shore communities of Nassau County seeing a significant increase in these types of thefts. The targets continue to be high end vehicles such as BMW’s, Mercedes, Range Rovers, Audi’s and other high-end cars. The Old Westbury Police Department continues to monitor this activity. In addition, the Old Westbury Police Department continues to gather and analyze intelligence from various sources. This information is used to see if there are any developing trends or patterns. We would like to make our residents aware of a few trends we have seen occurring recently. There has been a shift over the last several weeks to more daytime vehicle thefts and vehicle thefts at commercial or retail establishments. A third trend we have seen occurring in other tri-state areas (and recently in a North Shore Village) is subjects entering a home through a garage in search of keys to steal a vehicle from the driveway or garage. In these cases, either the garage was left open, there was an unlocked car in the driveway with a garage door opener in it, or a side door next to the garage was unlocked.
By sharing this information, we would also like to remind you of the following crime prevention tips:
1-NEVER leave a car unlocked or with the key or key fob inside no matter what time of day.
2-Do not leave valuables in the car. If you must do this, hide them out of sight.
3-Be sure to lock all exterior doors on your home.
4-Be sure to keep your garage door closed at all times and lock the interior door from the garage to inside the house.
5-If you have an alarm system, set it even when home. This adds an extra layer of security.
6-When out shopping be sure to lock your car and take your key/fob with you every time. This includes gas stations. When fueling up, turn off your car and put the key/fob in your pocket. It only takes seconds for a car thief to get in your unlocked car with a key or fob in it and drive off.
7-Be aware of your surroundings. Look around before exiting your car for any unusual or suspicious people or vehicles. If you aren’t sure, drive around the block or parking lot. If you are still unsure or feeling unsafe, call the police.
8-Promptly notify the Old Westbury Police 516-626-0200 (or the local police if you are outside of the Village) of any suspicious activity.
Together we can help fight and prevent these types of thefts from occurring. In the past 30-day reporting period there have been no stolen vehicles reported in Old Westbury. We believe that increased patrols by our officers and intelligence gathering by our detectives have helped to prevent these auto thefts here in Old Westbury. However, we are certain that the most important reason for the decrease in thefts is that our residents are being diligent, by taking the necessary steps to secure their vehicles. Let’s continue preventing future thefts by keeping up our vigilance.