The Rye and Harrison police departments are separately searching for several suspects that have been breaking into motor vehicles.
According to the Harrison police Chief Michael Olsey, eight break-ins have been reported just in the last several weeks in the town/village of Harrison.
Most recently, there were two reported larcenies that occurred on Tuesday, Aug. 1, during the night at Irving Place, which is located near Halstead Avenue. “I would really urge residents and commuters to lock their car doors,” Olsey told the Review, adding that the department has several suspects that are believed to not be from any of the surrounding communities.
Since the larcenies occurred, the Harrison police have adjusted their patrols to help deter any future break-ins that may occur, according to Olsey.
According to Rye City Manager Marcus Serrano, a number of similar larcenies have occurred in the city of Rye within the last several weeks which has promoted their Police Department to issue an official safety advisory, warning homeowners and commuters to lock their car doors and keep a close watch on suspicious activity.
The city manager said cars that were left unlocked were specifically targeted, and a number of small exposed portable items, including cellphones and wallets, as well as loose change were stolen.
“In these instances, the [burglar] usually takes loose change and anything valuable they can find,” Serrano told the Review. “It’s important to lock your doors and to also report to the police if you see somebody lurking around at night.”
Serrano added that on one occasion in the last couple of weeks, the suspect was able to steal one resident’s car after not having any issue opening an unlocked door. There is currently no information on the model of that car or when the larceny occurred.
Around the same time last year, a number of homes were burglarized on Harbor Lane, Oakland Beach Avenue and Riverside View in Rye.
The string of intrusions sparked a search for a suspect believed to be a resident of Rye who was targeting homes with unlocked doors.
One homeowner encountered the suspected intruder, a woman, during the night; however, no one was arrested, and the investigation eventually curtailed.
According to Serrano, those robberies are similar to the recent larcenies in the sense that relatively comparable items were stolen. Small portable items and loose change were also stolen last summer.
Rye City Public Safety Commissioner Michael Corcoran could not be reached for comment, as of press time.
