Police Chief James Viadero is offering residents some simple advice to help them protect themselves from what is largely a preventable crime — auto theft.

During recent months, Newtown and many other suburban towns in the state have experienced a rash of auto thefts, with the rate of that crime far exceeding past auto theft rates, according to officials.

In past years, stolen autos often served as the source of automotive parts for so-called “chop shops,” at which stolen autos were taken apart to provide a supply of illicit spare parts. However, recent auto thefts often involve youths, often under age 18, simply stealing unlocked vehicles whose owners have left the keys inside the vehicles. The thieves take the vehicles for a “joy ride,” after which they abandon the autos, according to officials.

Underage youths convicted of auto theft often are treated leniently by the courts, resulting in those youths receiving little punishment for their crimes and providing little deterrent to additional auto thefts.

Chief Viadero explained, “One of the biggest problems we confront is the leaving of keys, (electronic) key fobs, and valuables in unlocked cars. Every vehicle we have had stolen had keys inside.

“Do not leave valuables in the car. Keep cars locked. Also please call [the police department] if you see suspicious activity or individuals,” the chief added.

“I can’t stress [enough] the problem created by leaving [electronic] fobs and keys in cars,” he said. “It’s a preventable event.”

During the past few years, the chief has offered numerous similar warnings to the public about keeping unattended vehicles locked, removing the keys from vehicles, and removing valuables from within vehicles.

Auto thefts, and the thefts of valuables from vehicles, often occur during the overnight hours when residents leave their unlocked vehicles parked outside their residences. If auto thieves happen to find an unlocked vehicle’s keys inside it, they often steal that auto, according to police.

Statistics

Lieutenant Aaron Bahamonde, the police department’s spokesman, offered some statistics on local auto thefts during the past five years.

There were no auto thefts from January through May of this year, but the incidence of that crime sharply increased, with five thefts occurring in June. July and August each had one theft. September had three auto thefts. During the first six days of October, there were two thefts. Thus, from January 1 through October 6 of this year, there were 12 local auto thefts.

During 2017, the town experienced 11 auto thefts, with those crimes fairly evenly spread across that year.

In 2016, there were only four auto thefts, with three of those crimes occurring in February. The year 2015 saw eight auto thefts from Newtown properties. In 2014, only two auto thefts occurred.

In the years preceding 2014, only a handful of auto thefts occurred during a given year.

All but two of the of the 37 vehicles stolen during the nearly five-year period from January 2014 to October 6, 2018, were eventually recovered by police, Lt Bahamonde said.