Edgartown police have joined Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs in investigating a string of break-ins this month after recent calls from the Dodgers Hole neighborhood.
The department alerted the public on social media on Nov. 20 that several vehicles were broken into and rummaged through.
There have been reports earlier this month of apparent break-ins into multiple unlocked vehicles and structures in Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs; one Vineyard Haven couple lost $600 in cash.
“It’s such a small Island that of course we’re working with them,” said Edgartown Police Acting Chief Chris Dolby of the inter-town collaboration.
Dolby added that the Dodgers Hole incidents are similar to recent ones in other towns, though did not offer further detail so as not to jeopardize the ongoing investigation.
As other towns’ departments have advised, Dolby told Vineyarders not to make break-ins easy.
“This day and age, even on the Island, it’s best practice to lock your car, not leave any valuables in it. Take the keys in your house, lock your house. More often than not our crimes here are crimes of opportunity.”
“Call 911 if you think that somebody’s been through your car or property or if you see anything suspicious,” he added. “In some instances people post about this on Facebook and don’t call the police. That doesn’t help us.”
Oak Bluffs Police are asking the public to take up the “9 pm routine,” meaning locking their doors after 9 pm, removing valuables from their cars, leaving on their home’s exterior lights or using motion-detecting lights, and closing their garage doors.
Tisbury Police posted a video of a suspect to Facebook on November 12, and all departments have asked Vineyarders to notify them of any relevant information.
Dolby did note that crimes like this aren’t unheard of on Martha’s Vineyard.
“It’s happened off-and-on for 30 years here on the Island. These things do happen,” he said.
