SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Authorities are warning car owners to be vigilant after a string of car break-ins and thefts around the region this week, including nearly a dozen calls across several towns in Addison County Friday.
Ben Cross of South Starksboro says he woke up Friday to go to work and confronted a mess.
“My fiance’s truck, doors torn open, belongings spread out across the yard, into the road, through the driveway. My window had been smashed, shattered into the driveway,” he said.
The Vermont State Police say they received nearly a dozen calls early Friday from towns including Monkton, Bristol, and Lincoln reporting vehicle thefts and break-ins. “With the amount of the calls that we received in New Haven, it has to be a larger group, because one or two people are not going to be able to target that many towns over a short period of time,” said VSP Capt. Matt Daley.
The break-ins come as police in Chittenden County are working to identify four people they say are responsible for break-ins and thefts in multiple towns. “They’re acting in a way that is becoming really emboldened. I know Chittenden County law enforcement are pushing their notebooks together to create a pattern case on these actors in order to hopefully make them stop,” said South Burlington Police Chief Shawn Burke.
Data from South Burlington shows 117 reports of larceny from motor vehicles in just the last month. That includes 42 stolen cars.
In the same time period last year, they received only 55 reports.. “It does appear that they’re a little organized in their criminality. They will use lookouts, they will have planned escape routes. It really is of great concern, it consumes a lot of resources,” Burke said.
He says in order to combat the increase, there needs to be a systemic change. “We learned a lot about incarceration is not right for everyone, probation is not right for everyone. But in the end, there needs to be a stick to change the behavior, because this is cutting at the quality of life in Chittenden County.”
Police say it’s important to lock your cars, park in well-lit areas, and check your security cameras to make sure they’re working properly. Anyone impacted by the latest string of thefts or who has useful information is urged to call the Vermont State Police.
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