Over the past week, Waukesha County has reportedly seen a substantial rise in the amount of vehicle thefts and entries.
The areas with the most significant rise in activity are alleged to be the City of Brookfield, the City of New Berlin, the Village of Hartland, the Village of Nashotah, the Village of Sussex, and the Town of Merton. Other locales have also been targeted within the Waukesha County area.
Sources state that the crimes seem to be centralized around more affluent communities. This is likely due to the fact that many of these areas have lower safety concerns and are more likely to leave doors unlocked.
Many of the crimes have occurred when vehicle owners leave their cars unlocked, both with and without the keys inside the car. However, in some cases, there have also been reports of forceful entry into the vehicles, although these are slightly less likely.
Many of the stolen vehicles that have thus far been recovered were been found in Milwaukee County. This suggests there may be a group from Milwaukee County targeting Waukesha County.
Police have asked residents to stay vigilant.
According to the Village of Hartland Police Department, they have most recently have complaints of auto entries in the subdivisions north of STH 16, typically happening early in the morning. They also stated that nearby jurisdictions have also received similar complaints late at night and early in the morning.The Hartland PD stated:
Please remove valuable items from your vehicle and lock your doors. Do not hesitate to call if you see something suspicious in your neighborhood or someone going through a vehicle.
Residents are asked to file a complaint if an issue occurs. Those with cameras and security devices have also been asked to utilize these to help assist in identifying individuals.
In 2022, Milwaukee was ranked the 8th worst city for vehicle thefts. Between 2020 and 2021, there was a 132% increase in vehicle thefts, as the number rose from 4,507 to 10,477.
Although Milwaukee has been a hot spot for much of this activity, it has also spread to nearby suburbs in recent years. West Allis, Wauwatosa, Greenfield, and Brown Deer have all seen rising rates of vehicle thefts.
