CAMBRIDGE, MD - A surge in car thefts and break-ins has stirred concern among residents of Cambridge this week, with investigators attributing much of the blame to juveniles. Security footage from a homeowner has revealed teenagers prowling neighborhoods, testing car door handles in driveways, according to officials.
"This is a very common tactic that's used in the spring and summer months, day and evenings," stated Chief Justin Todd of the Cambridge Police Department.
Todd expressed his belief that children engage in these activities because they perceive a lack of consequences for their actions.
"We're seeing an increase of children realizing that they weren't going to be held accountable for their actions, that we're going to make the arrest and they were going to be released and they would go back and do the same thing over and over again. Last year we had one juvenile steal a car 11 times before a bigger crime occurred," Todd explained.
While acknowledging that Wednesday night's spree was particularly intense, residents noted that theft is unfortunately not uncommon in Cambridge.
"Four cars in the same night sounds like somebody had a plan. There's this, as we were talking, a local neighborhood blog and you read about all the time that it's usually juveniles that walk along the streets and particularly these historic streets and a lot of these streets don't have off-street parking and these kids are just going around trying doors," said Dave Morris, a Cambridge resident.
Many residents echoed concerns about parental supervision and a lack of control.
"It begins with children and their parents. Their parents have to spend time with their children," said Katherine Pfeifer.
The Cambridge Police Department reported that out of the four stolen vehicles, only two have been recovered. Efforts are underway to allocate resources to families and parents in an attempt to deter further criminal activity.
