Westport Police responded to 2 stolen vehicle reports yesterday. One was from the very busy CVS parking lot.
In both cases, cars were unlocked — and keys were inside.
There were also reports of another attempted vehicle theft, and of suspicious people running from an open garage, the fleeing in a stolen vehicle.
There’s more, too: a hit and run accident on Easton Road and North Avenue, where one of the stolen cars crashed into another vehicle, and took off. There were no injuries, but many witnesses saw the driver flying down North Avenue, forcing cars in both lanes onto the shoulder.
Westport Police say: “Those responsible for stealing these cars have no regard for your property or your safety.
“Please lock your homes and vehicles, utilize alarm and surveillance systems, and report any suspicious behavior to the Westport Police Department.”
Please steal my car!
I’m really surprised that insurance companies still honor ‘car theft’ claims when the owner leaves keys in the car – inviting theft.
Hard to believe people don’t lock their cars
I want thank our Westport police our new police chief Dave Farrell and everyone at our police as they wonderful work for the town of Westport and all women and men of the department thanks for your service
If you leave your keys in your car and it’s stolen, you should be investigated for insurance fraud, and personally liable for the time and expense WPD wastes on your case.
I think we are looking at this the wrong way. Maybe one of the people who leave their key fobs in the car can explain to the rest of us why they do so?
So if I walk down the street in provocative clothing does that mean I should be assaulted? People should respect the property of others – period.
Thank you Dan, and the WPD, for this. But – how many times have we heard this??? It’s common sense. Makes unnecessary work for the police, puts others at risk, and is preventable. Lock your cars. Take the fobs. Please.
Someone commented in the past: in these cases , it’s not a theft. It’s a donation. 🙁
Am I missing something here? People leave the keys in their car for what reason???
Well, all the commenters who would blame the victim and seemingly excuse a car thief’s criminal behavior [and reckless driving] because the car was unlocked – yes, I agree it’s incredibly unwise to do so, but it’s still [very much] a crime, just as it is for a thief to enter your home via your [unlocked] back door and steal your jewelry, or come into your open garage and steal your snow blower.
I know I’m younger than you and have only had my drivers license for 42 years…and I’ve done a lot of stupid stuff in my time behind the wheel…and since one of my cars doesn’t have a roof and is a 5 speed i never lock it…but not ever have I ever left the keys to my car in the car.
I’m actually shocked insurance companies still cover this, it’s next level incompetence.
If you have an owed balance on a car loan you’re required to carry insurance. But that doesn’t mean the insurance companies can’t raise their rates. Insurance by definition is loss sharing across the population of policyholders. Insurance companies never lose money.
I don’t think people are excusing the thief, rather, they’re saying we’ve seen enough of this to know that leaving keys in your car can result in theft. That theft can have serious consequences if the perpetrator drives erratically enough to injure someone.
Remember when people left their car running while they ran into the PO or a quick stop? I do and it still happens here in Cedarville MI ❤️
Yea that’s in the middle of absolute no where, not Fairfield County.
Many would say that not too long ago people considered Westport in the middle of absolute no where. At least that’s how I grew up without hearing about these thefts and accidents when I did. And yes, my mother would leave the car running when she ran into the grocery store. I also can’t remember my mother ever locking her car when we lived in Westport in the 60s and 70s.
Leaving your car running is bad for the air quality, and the poor air quality in the Rustbelt flows here to CT, where uninformed motorists idle in their cars and add to our already horrible air quality. We are known now s the “tailpipe of America.”
Thank people for inviting crime in. That’s exactly what leaving the keys in your car does . Insurance shouldn’t cover . It also drives up everyone else’s rates. Thanks
In the immortal words of Forrest Gump…”Stupid is as stupid does.”
The only time I’ve ever had a car stolen was when the keys were OUT of the car, in broad daylight in a crowded parking lot,
Just sayin’.
Here’s an idea: Make the price too high for the criminals who steal cars. If that were the case, we wouldn’t have to have these weekly stories with everyone saying the same things over and over.