Lower standards embarrass us all

sad

Car thieves in Greenwich have expanded into Pemberwick, where old junks are now being boosted. Not long ago, decent cars, like Tommy Hilfiger's Land Rovers were the targets, and their theft brought us national attention that reinforced the town's image as a "tony" enclave (far more than Tesei's pitiful PR campaign, I might add) . Not so now:

GREENWICH — Auto thefts in the community have been ramping up, as police recorded eight stolen cars in the first half of November alone — and three overnight Monday.

Police responded to the northwest corner of town, the Pemberwick section, early Monday, to investigate the latest string of thefts. Two vehicles — a 2008 GMC Sierra and a 2012 Honda Pilot — were stolen from Hollow Wood Lane. Not far away on Monica Road, a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze was stolen.

Police Chief James Heavey referred to the latest spate of thefts as a “dramatic increase.”

He said the practice of leaving vehicles unlocked, with keys inside, was endangering the community. Car thieves were looking for opportunities, he said, and easy-to-steal cars provided them.

Please: if you insist on keeping a clunker, lock it up; stories like this make us look like Norwalk or, God forfend, Stamford.