“More Brazen”: New Crime Patterns Concern Wilton Officials

Wilton Police Department (WPD) Deputy Chief Rob Cipolla attended the Sept. 19 Board of Selectmen meeting to update the board about recent statistics on stolen motor vehicles and thefts from motor vehicles, as well as other traffic-related police activity.

There is some GOOD news among the data, but with several crime statistics higher so far this year than last year, the WPD is urging residents to be vigilant, even in their daily routines around town.

This story reports on Cipolla’s presentation to the Board of Selectmen as well as a follow-up interview with him conducted by GOOD Morning Wilton.

What’s Up

Among the striking statistics Cipolla shared, the number of stolen motor vehicles and thefts from motor vehicles are both higher year-to-date than the previous year.

“In 2022, we saw a [decrease] in our overall theft-from-vehicle incidents and our stolen vehicle incidents. We were doing well heading into 2023 [but] as the summer broke, we began to see an uptick,” Cipolla told the selectmen.

• Half of the total motor vehicle incidents this year took place in June, July, and the single-worst month, August.

• Nine vehicles have been stolen in Wilton this year, including one from inside the garage of a residence. Cipolla told GMW the majority (six of nine) were stolen from single-family properties; the other locations included an apartment complex, a senior living facility and an auto service station.

• 48 individuals have been the victims of thefts of items left in their cars so far this year. 50% of the thefts occurred in cars parked at residences, while many were at locations such as gyms, trailhead parking lots, and daycare/preschool locations. Cipolla told GMW the number of victims might actually be higher, due to underreporting by those who either blame themselves for leaving items in an unlocked car, did not feel the theft was significant enough to report, or other reason.

“In Broad Daylight”

Beyond just the increase in incidents, Cipolla sees a shift in the manner in which the motor vehicle crimes are being committed.

“Predominantly, our residential neighborhoods make up the majority of the victimization. In years past, these thefts were occurring when you’re asleep in bed, overnight, but we have seen a trend throughout the state and here in Wilton where these thefts are occurring in midday, in broad daylight,” Cipolla said.

First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice emphasized Cipolla’s point.

“This seems to be, not only in Wilton but other communities, becoming more brazen,” she commented.

Responding to a question from Selectwoman Kim Healy, Cipolla indicated there have been no acts of violence against Wilton residents in the course of the thefts — but his comments suggest there’s potential.

“We did have an incident recently [with] an unlocked vehicle in a driveway — they used the garage door opener to gain access to the garage,” Cipolla said.

“They’re using the [stolen] vehicles to commit more crimes,” Cipolla added, even returning to Wilton in the stolen vehicle to steal from other vehicles, and commit mail theft or burglaries.

Getting The Message Out — Be On Guard All Day

WPD has been using social media to remind residents to “lock it or lose it“, but Cipolla says the message used in previous years must now include all times of day.

“Traditionally the message [was] before you go to bed, make sure you lock your car. But as we’re seeing a trend for these things happening during the day, really any time you’re parking your vehicle, even if it’s midday in your own driveway, make sure it’s locked,” Cipolla said.

“Certainly you don’t want to leave your keys in the vehicle,” he added.

“There’s so much to think about [as to] why you should lock your car,” Vanderslice said. “It isn’t just so your car doesn’t get stolen, it’s also so your car isn’t being driven in a dangerous manner” or require police response, or other consequences.

“[Just think of] the danger,” Vanderslice said, noting that the offenders are often juveniles, with little driving experience, leaving the scene of the crime at high rates of speed, often in residential areas.

Cipolla told GMW he is not aware of any instances in Wilton like the recent, highly-publicized case in Westport, in which a man was followed home and into his garage.

He also said thieves did not appear to be targeting particular car makes or models.

While the overnight thefts have taken place in diverse areas of town, Cipolla says the daytime acts have been more targeted.

“Trail heads, fitness facilities, [child]care drop-offs — those are the areas where criminals go because they know it’s a target-rich environment, where people are likely to leave stuff behind in the car,” Cipolla said.

Cipolla says stowing items in the trunk or back seat of the car before you leave the vehicle isn’t necessarily a solution for preventing a break-in.

“You don’t want to leave valuables behind [in the car], even if you think you have it hidden. Often in those cases, they’re surveilling those locations, watching people as they get out of their car,” Cipolla explained.

Traffic-Related Activity

On a positive note, Cipolla reported fewer motor vehicle accidents this year compared to the same period last year. Crashes are down 14% — that’s 43 fewer than at the same time last year — and no fatalities.

Perhaps related, traffic stops by Wilton police are up 13%, to roughly 3,600 so far this year. Nearly half of the stops were for speeding, followed by distracted driving, and red lights or stop signs.

“Our officers are very active in motor vehicle enforcement… they’re blanketing the town,” Cipolla told the BOS. “There’s a high concentration on Route 7 but they’re covering all of our secondary, tertiary roads as well, addressing citizen complaints as they come in.”

“When we talk about stopping cars, that’s our activity to keep the roads safe. The outcome — are we achieving that — is the crash data,” he said.

“Last year we were slower than our pre-pandemic crash numbers, and we’re running lower than that this year,” Cipolla noted. “So that’s good.”

Call WPD

Cipolla is advising residents not to intervene in a crime in progress.

“The continued message is locking the car, not leaving valuables in [the car], but if you do happen to see this occurring, be a good witness and call us. Don’t insert yourself in the middle of a crime in progress,” he advised. “What starts as a property crime can quickly escalate to a crime of violence and the last thing we want is someone getting hurt. Call us immediately and we will do what we’re supposed to do.”

Editor’s Note: This article was updated to include the final paragraph that was inadvertently left off.