Westport Police Join Motor Vehicle Theft Task Force

The Westport Police Department will be taking part in a regional motor vehicle theft task force.  Westport and its surrounding communities experience car thefts as well as vehicle break-ins on a regular basis.  These crimes are often committed by juveniles and/or young adults.

This task force is a collaboration between local law enforcement agencies to combat the proliferation of auto theft in the Fairfield County Region.  The task force will work in cooperation with other police departments to develop a comprehensive effort to deter auto theft and arrest those responsible.  In addition to Westport, the other police departments participating in the task force include Bridgeport, Fairfield, Stratford, Monroe, and Newtown.

Police Chief Foti Koskinas felt that it was important for Westport to be a part of this effort.  He stated that “by sharing resources and information with other communities that are also experiencing a large number of motor vehicle thefts our ability to solve these crimes increases exponentially.”  He added that “while the theft of cars may seem like a youthful indiscretion to some it is important to keep in mind that these stolen vehicles are often used in the commission of very serious crimes such as robberies and shootings.”  

In almost every case, the stolen vehicle was unlocked with the keys (key fob) inside.  Therefore, even with the assistance of a task force and extra officers on patrol we will never be able to truly solve this problem unless people remember to always keep their cars locked.