By Jim Heavey
Following the recent rash of ATM thefts from gas stations in Cos Cob, a number of people have raised the concern that there might be a crime wave coming to Greenwich. Rest assured that your police department is constantly monitoring crime data — not just statistics but also the location and time of these events. We have a detective assigned to creating a crime analysis, which we use as a tool to best deploy our resources as well as inform the public of concerning trends.
In these next few paragraphs, I will give examples of how we as a community fared against crime between 2022 and 2023. I will not be able to address all of the recent Greenwich crime statistics in this article, but I will highlight some pertinent data. And please know that we at GPD recognize that if you are the victim of a crime, it’s much more than a number, and that there can be lingering effects from your loss.
Overall, Greenwich is doing better year over year. That said, there was a 25% (16 to 20 incidents) increase in commercial burglaries, which highlighted an area in which we need to redouble our efforts. Accordingly, we have made more burglary arrests year over year. For the most part, the remaining burglaries are the work of one group, and our detectives have excellent leads in the case.
Sadly, drug overdoses increased by 77% (from 9 to 16 incidents). In response, we have been able to implement some very successful diversionary programs to get help for those using illicit drugs.
Auto theft remains a persistent area of concern. In 2022, 120 cars were stolen in the Town of Greenwich. Disturbingly, every one of those cars had been left unlocked with the key or the fob in the vehicle. This entire region has been the target of both professional criminals and youth gangs who come to Greenwich to seek out high-end vehicles to take. The stolen cars are often used to anonymously commit other crimes in other towns and cities. Most of these cars are recovered not long after they have been stolen but they usually have damage. Alarmingly, some of the cars return to town with bullet holes, blood, and other evidence of violent crime.
In 2023, the number of cars stolen was down to 80. While a 33% reduction in auto thefts is a tremendous step in the right direction, that number is still way too high. I believe that several factors contributed to the decrease in Greenwich car thefts. For one thing, while the number of stolen cars remained high in other communities last year, Greenwich residents began to make a better effort to lock their cars. Additionally, our midnight shift of officers changed their tactics and made more aggressive visible patrols in the areas that our crime analysis identified as “hot spots.” We also leveraged technology and communications to help reduce the thefts. As of Feb. 16 of this year, we have had only six cars stolen, and we hope to continue this positive trend.
A number of years ago, state laws and policy changed and with rare exceptions, the police can no longer engage a stolen vehicle in a high-speed pursuit. This forced us to use other methods to identify and arrest those who steal cars, and it has made it much harder. It is also frustrating that those responsible for stealing our cars face little consequence for committing these crimes. It’s especially concerning when juveniles appear to commit numerous crimes without intervention or consequences.
The GPD now tracks the fact that we are chasing stolen cars out of town when they are spotted, which has certainly prevented more local auto thefts. We have also been able to stop and arrest a number of these thieves this past year and, in addition to taking into custody these suspects for being in possession of a stolen car, we have on several occasions recovered loaded firearms. I mention this to reinforce our message to the community that unless we change our reputation for leaving cars unlocked, criminals will continue to visit Greenwich. These criminals are not just stealing cars but could also potentially be violent criminals. Please lock your car, everywhere and every time!
Finally, I want to assure you that the GPD is always active behind the scenes. We inform the media when we make arrests or especially when there is a significant public threat, but we cannot release information about investigations in progress. If it becomes publicly known what we are following up on, it will spoil the investigation as well as make prosecution more difficult. In many cases, we know who the perpetrators are but cannot disclose it at this time. But rest assured, we are on it.
In my next column I will address traffic safety and enforcement in Greenwich.
As always, keeping Greenwich safe is a team effort. If you see something, say something. Call 911 for emergencies and crimes in progress. Call our non-emergency number to report suspicious activity at (203) 622-8004.
Thank you!
