In the past three months, the Woodbridge Police Department reports an increase in incidents of stolen vehicles in Woodbridge. In addition, other vehicles have been entered and rummaged through, resulting in items being stolen from within these vehicles.
Almost all of these incidents involved vehicles that were left unlocked and were not physically “broken into." These incidents have been spread throughout the entire town, are not isolated to just a specific area, and have mostly taken place during the overnight and early morning hours.
Woodbridge Police Chief Frank Cappiello, after meeting with the South Central Chiefs of Police, reports that our neighboring communities are also experiencing a similar spike in frequency of these same type of incidents. Accordingly, the Woodbridge Police patrol deployments been both redirected and increased. Chief Cappiello states, "Local law enforcement agencies are constantly sharing information and we continue to collaborate in our attempt to combat the problem." There are three steps that Woodbridge residents can take to help:
1) Lock your cars and garages at all times
2) Do not leave spare keys in your vehicle, or valuables in plain view
3) Report suspicious activity immediately to the Police (for non-emergencies call 203-387-2511)
In addition, Chief Cappiello asks that community members who would like to be involved at the neighborhood level become "the added eyes and ears of the community" by getting to know your neighbors, and reporting any suspicious persons, vehicles, or activity.
Please contact the Police Department at the non-emergency number (203-387-2511), or Chief Cappiello by email (fcappiello@woodbridgePD.com), should you have questions, or would like to share your concerns.