In view of a string of thefts of valuables from motor vehicles, which occurred earlier this month at Dickinson Park on Elm Drive, the police chief is urging that residents take steps to deter such incidents.

On the afternoon of Saturday, September 5, police received reports that forced entries had been made into five locked, unattended motor vehicles that were parked at the park. Police have said that after breaking windows on the five vehicles, the unknown thief or thieves stole wallets, purses, and pocketbooks which had been left inside the autos.

Police said they later recovered the various items taken, from which an unspecified amount of cash had been stolen.

Police Chief Michael Kehoe said September 14 that regardless of where motorists park, they should lock and secure their vehicles. They should make sure that any valuables within are not visible to someone who might look inside the vehicles, he said.

That means placing such valuables within the vehicles’ trunks, if they have trunks, he said. If the vehicles do not have trunks, valuables should be placed within glove boxes inside the autos, he said.

Alternately, items may be placed beneath the seats inside the vehicles, or beneath small rugs or blankets, where those valuables would be out of plain sight, he said.

Modern vehicles have many small storage compartments within them where valuables may be placed to keep them out of plain sight, Chief Kehoe said.

The incidents that occurred on September 5 at the park represent “crimes of opportunity” which occurred after someone spotted small valuables inside a vehicles and then made forced entries into the vehicles to steal the items, he said.

Such “thefts from vehicles” most typically involve criminals simply opening the doors of unlocked parked vehicles overnight in residential areas from which they steal small valuables, including electronic devices such as cellphones, tablet computers, laptop computers, and automotive navigation units, as well as cash.

Police urge that when parking vehicles near their homes at night, motorists lock their vehicles and bring their valuables inside their houses.

Police are continuing to investigate the September 5 thefts at Dickinson Park and ask anyone with knowledge of the crime to contact Officer Matthew Pirhala at the police station at 3 Main Street, telephone 203-426-5841.