Police are urging residents to employ deterrents to prevent motor vehicles from being stolen in light of the theft of a large luxury SUV this week from a residential driveway.

Police received a call on the morning of Tuesday, December 20, reporting that a 2009 Land Rover-brand Range Rover SUV had been stolen overnight from a driveway on Horseshoe Ridge Road. Police described the vehicle as white, with black rims.

Police said that the keys were inside the unlocked vehicle when the theft occurred.

In light of that theft, police urged residents to keep their vehicles locked when unattended and not to leave the any keys inside the vehicle.

Valuable items should not be left inside vehicles, especially automatic garage door openers, whose use would allow thieves to gain easy access to a residence via its attached garage, according to police.

In the past, thefts of items from vehicles, plus thefts of vehicles, have occurred because those vehicles' owners have left valuables in plain sight inside unlocked autos, and also sometimes have left the keys inside the unlocked autos, according to police.

Police ask anyone with knowledge of the SUV theft overnight on December 19-20 to contact investigating Officer Chelsea Harold at the police station at 3 Main Street, telephone 203-426-5841.