Combating Car Theft

car
September 1, 2021
I want to share some breaking news: Starting today, the CT Judicial Branch will provide police departments with 24/7 access to juvenile arrest records to help curb car thefts and break-ins. This change comes after speaking with police chiefs across the state who told us they didn’t have access to information on a suspect's prior arrests. Police will now have the information they need to secure detention orders for repeat offenders. This will be a gamechanger.

Throughout our state and the nation, some communities have seen a recent increase in car thefts. I remain committed to doing all I can to advocate for our local police department and the Ridgefield community to maintain our safety. That being said, I am proud to share the words of Ridgefield Police Chief, Jeff Kreitz, who reported a decrease in motor vehicle thefts during the August 12 Police Commission Special Meeting:

"Chief Kreitz highlighted several statistics from the July report. Of note, the number of stolen motor vehicles has decreased. Chief Kreitz praised the officers’ efforts to keep these crimes at a minimum."
Read the Full Meeting Minutes
We have also been working on other fronts as well:
  • We created a first-offense juvenile rehabilitation program, which involves first-time juvenile offenders attending 21 classes, working with social workers and psychologists to determine the psychological and social issues that may have caused them to commit a crime. The program helps address those issues to prevent the juvenile from reoffending. 
  • We made it a felony for an adult to entice a minor to commit a crime, including car theft.
  • A bipartisan group of legislators and experts in the field have been meeting regularly to discuss how to effectively address the issue going forward. 

This is an ongoing, complex social and criminal justice problem and I am committed to working hard for short-term and long-term policies that work to keep our community safe.