Police are on the lookout for thieves capitalizing on North Shore residents leaving valuable items visible in their cars.
Between June 1 and Aug. 21, 22 North New Hyde Park told police reported their cars had valuables such as wallets, credit cards and cellular phones stolen from them. Eight of those been left unlocked; others had their windows smashed.
Marianna Wohlgemuth, a North New Hyde Park resident and member of the Lakeville Estates/North Lakeville Civic Association, said she had heard of more than 50 break-ins. There were also three in Williston Park, in which police made an arrest Aug. 14.
“You pull your car in your driveway and the assumption is that it’s safe, but it’s not,” said Wohlgemuth said.
Police are investigating the robberies, which occurred between Lakeville Road and New Hyde Park Road. Six of them happened in parking lot of LA Fitness at Union Turnpike and Lakeville Road, police said.
Several others happened on Evans, Nugent, Gerard and Lawrence Streets, according to a Sept. 4 newsletter from the civic association.
Since police put additional patrols, plainclothes officers and bait cars in North New Hyde Park, Deputy Inspector Alan Hirsch said, the number of the thefts has decreased.
Wohlgemuth and the civic association has sent messages to New Hyde Park residents reminding them to lock their cars. Williston Park sent a similar village-wide alert email on Friday.
“They’re all crimes of opportunity,” Hirsch said.
