The Ambler Borough Police Department said that a string of car thefts occurred in the early morning hours of Friday, Sept. 13. An unclear, grainy image was captured of the alleged thief.
According to a release on Crimewatch, Chief of Police Jeff Borkowski said that the department received several calls during Friday business hours, as Ambler Borough residents woke to find items missing from their vehicles. He said that the thefts seemed to have occurred around 3:30 a.m. along the unit block of South Spring Garden Street and Orange Avenue.
“The actor removed wallets, keys, handbags, and money from unlocked vehicles,” said Borkowski. “We were able to get a picture of the alleged thief.”
The crimes did not involve any broken windows or damage, as the actor was able to access the unlocked vehicles without issue. The thefts could be prevented, and the chief reminded neighbors to lock car doors.
“Please lock your car doors,” said Borkowski. “If you notice that your vehicle was entered overnight, please call us to report it.”
Similar incidents had occurred over the weekend of Aug. 23 and 24, according to the chief. Two cars were stolen that weekend, with items missing from others. Lower Gwynedd Township Police Department, a connected neighboring municipality to Ambler, also issued a reminder to its residents by creating a “9 p.m. Routine.”
“To prevent further incidents, you might want to consider adopting the ‘9 p.m. Routine,’” said LGTPD Chief Paul D. Kenny. The routine creates a habit for local homeowners to:
To read more on the LGTPD routine, visit https://wissnow.com/news/2024/sep/05/do-you-have-a-9-pm-routine-lower-gwynedd-township-police-recommend-it/.
Residents can call the Ambler Borough Police Departments non-emergency number at 215-643-6444 to report any car entry or thefts as they are discovered.