Unlocked vehicles fall prey to burglaries in northeastern Mass.
Roving groups of thieves have broken into 400 cars across the northeastern corner of the state over the past three months, police said.
In all but one of the burglaries, in such towns as Salisbury, Newbury, and Amesbury, the vehicles were left unlocked.
Some officials estimated that the groups broke into hundreds more cars but did not take anything.
“I’m going to say that number is much higher, that it’s underreported,’’ said Salisbury Police Chief David L’Esperance, who initiated a collaboration between several local law enforcement agencies to help stem the crimes. “I bet we only have one-third of them reported.’’
L’Esperance also said that half of the 400 break-ins occurred in the past month: “In the past 30 days, it’s really picked up.’’
Thieves made out with global positioning system devices, cellphones, and laptops. However, many of the break-ins yielded only loose change or CDs, officials said.
The burglaries have come in large bursts, with thieves seemingly hitting one town for several weeks.
“They’re moving from town to town,’’ said L’Esperance, who is investigating 19 break-ins on a recent night in Salisbury. “They hit a particular area for the night and then move on.’’
Neighboring Newburyport averaged one vehicle break-in per week until last month. The town has now seen nearly 50 in the past five weeks, according to Police Marshal Thomas Howard.
Amesbury also averaged about one a week, until a rash of 40 came over a one-month period in late summer.
But the thieves quickly left town, with only one car burglary reported in the past month, said Deputy Police Chief Gary Ingham.
L’Esperance said he suspects two groups are carrying out the majority of the burglaries.
Police have made no arrests, he said.
If they do, and suspects are implicated in multiple break-ins, Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett’s office anticipates assigning a special prosecutor to pursue more serious charges, according to Steve O’Connell, a spokesman for Blodgett.
On Friday, the Salisbury Police Department hosted officials from 10 to 15 police agencies, including State Police and the Essex County Sheriff’s Department, to strategize on sharing leads and data.
But car owners are key to stopping the crimes, L’Esperance said.
“This problem will take care of itself if people just lock their cars,’’ he said.