YuLin Zhen, Photography Editor

After responding to around 30 reported vehicle break-ins over one weekend in the Hill, the New Haven Police Department added a temporary “crime suppression” patrol to the neighborhood.

Between Jan. 3 and 6, NHPD officers caught wind of dozens of reported thefts from vehicles in Hill North and Hill South. In response, they added “proactive” overtime patrol shifts for officers to focus on preventing crime, according to Christian Bruckhart, the New Haven Police Department’s communications officer. 

Bruckhart explained that there was usually no “rhyme or reason” as to whether vehicles parked on the street or in lots might be broken into, and he encouraged anyone parking in the neighborhood not to leave visible valuable items in their cars.

“What we’ve seen, generally speaking, is that locked doors work,” Bruckhart said. “But if someone sees a laptop on a seat, they might progress to breaking the window. The easiest thing to do is just not leave anything in the car that might be perceived as being of value.”

Employees at the Yale New Haven Hospital, whose main campus is in the Hill neighborhood, have frequently faced theft from vehicles. Around June 2024, a self-identified YNHH employee started a change.org petition calling on the hospital to add security measures to parking lots used by employees.

“It’s time for Yale New Haven Hospital to take responsibility and ensure that their staff has secure parking areas,” the petition states.

The petition’s proponents celebrated a victory in July after the petition surpassed 1,500 signatures — receiving media attention and pushing hospital authorities to promise 24-hour surveillance at two parking lots. But, nurses still report break-ins in the area.

YNHH spokesperson, when asked about the recent NHPD attention to break-ins in the area, pointed to the hospital’s action, increased patrols at the outdoor lots, after the summer’s petition.

“We increased patrols at our outdoor lots — in June of last year. 8 months ago,” the spokesperson, Mark D’Antonio, wrote.

Though the New Haven police respond to many calls from within and around Yale New Haven Hospital buildings — especially the emergency department — many hospital facilities and part of the Martin Luther King Jr. parking lot are located within the Yale Police Department’s area of responsibility.

“Yale Security and Yale Police collaborate with Yale New Haven Hospital protective services because of the interconnectivity between the hospital and the university,” YPD Chief Anthony Campbell wrote to the News. “We will coordinate patrol efforts whenever needed and share information about specific individuals of interest in these shared spaces.”

NHPD CompStat reports recorded a 10.8 percent increase in the number of thefts from vehicles in 2024 from the preceding year.