Waterbury police warn residents to be aware of rim theft

There’s an uptick of wheel rim theft in Waterbury, and police say thieves are getting more sophisticated in how they strike.

Wheel locks have long been the standard to prevent any theft, but now police say thieves are going as far as breaking into cars and stealing wheel lock keys, too.

They're encouraging people to take extra precautions to protect their cars.

In Waterbury’s Town Plot neighborhood, Wes Stokes said his friend's wheels and rims were stolen just a month and a half ago, causing over $10,000 worth of repairs.

"She went out to go to work in the morning and there's no tires, her car is laying on the ground,” Stokes said. “They took out four tires, rims, and then they just dropped it."

Waterbury police said they've received multiple reports of rim thefts each week, a trend they say has only grown in recent months.

The current target is a Honda Accord Sport, specifically the models made in 2019 through 2024. Police say they're desirable by thieves because those tire rims are interchangeable.

“Each neighbor be aware of each other, keep an eye out when these acts happen,” Lt. Ryan Bessette said.

Police encourage people to park in well-lit areas, use wheel locks, but keep the keys elsewhere, and make sure your surveillance cameras are working.

“They’re breaking into the window, and they're taking the wheel locks out of the glove compartment to access the rims,” Bessette said.

It's a situation some in Waterbury say they have nearly fallen victim to, if not for their protective measures.

“They but the alarm system goes ‘woo,’” Rachel Perez, of Waterbury, said. "You want to try me? Go. I have the camera and the lights on the front and the back and the sides."

Experts at Joe’s Tire Shop and Auto Repair in Waterbury said doing anything you can to prevent rim theft could save you a lot of money down the line.

It's a lot of money for people to buy a new set of wheels, most people can't afford anywhere to $800 to $2,500 dollars for wheels,” tire shop worker Rich DiBenedetto said.

He said a lot of cars nowadays already have wheel locks built in, but if not, it could be worth looking into.

"If you slow them down, chances are maybe they’ll move to the next one,” DiBenedetto said.

Police say charges for rim theft can include larceny.