Following a spate of thefts from parked cars, Springfield Police recommend that residents take precautions.

Police say that in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Oct. 19, thieves entered at least eight motor vehicles parked on Baltusrol Way, Hawthorne Ave., Henshaw Ave., Tooker Ave., Lyons Place and Keeler St. Police believe the thieves walked or rode bicycles through the neighborhood between 1:30 and 3 a.m., attempting to access parked cars.

Detective Sergeant Judd Levenson reported that the suspects will walk around residential areas in the early morning hours and will avoid parked vehicles that have lights showing to indicate the vehicle is alarmed. Levenson added that the thieves will also stay away from driveways that have a motion activated sensor light.

The thieves will try door handles to see if the car is unlocked.  If so, they will steal anything of value left inside the vehicle. In all of the thefts, the vehicles were parked in driveways and were unlocked. The thieves made off coins, GPS units, wallets, iPods and laptop computers.

Captain John Cook, the officer-in-charge of the Springfield Police, cautions residents to lock their car doors overnight when parked in their driveways and  said residents should not leave valuables, especially wallets containing ID and credit cards, in their vehicles overnight.

Police say that Sensor lights can assist in deterring these type of theft. They ask that residents who see suspicious people walking through residential areas in the late evening or early morning hours contact the police at (973) 376-0400.