Hartford police are investigating after several car thefts at dealerships in the region over the last four months.
Police said they have noticed a pattern of car thieves are breaking into dealerships, stealing the keys to vehicles and either stealing the cars immediately or returning later to take them.
In some cases, the thieves have driven over and through the dealership fencing as other vehicles have followed, police said.
In one night, 56 keys were stolen, police said. Officers in Hartford recovered 300 cars that were stolen from outside the city in 2015. This year, they are expecting to find 600.
Hartford police have notified 198 dealerships and repair shops and they are recommended that they lock up the keys and paperwork and invest in a surveillance system.
