The Town of Greenwich and the surrounding New York area are experiencing a new trend in car theft activity.

A message was posted on the Town of Greenwich's website.

Officials say car thieves are committing burglaries at homes to take the homeowner's car keys to steal their vehicle.

They say the activity was first seen in Westchester County and is now occurring in Greenwich.

On Feb. 22, car thieves entered a home in the back county section of Greenwich at around 12 a.m. to take the homeowner's keys to steal their car from the garage.

When they entered the house, they triggered the alarm and took off.

After leaving the first home, the suspects went to another house on Round Hill Road near the New York border and stole two cars from a driveway with the keys left inside.

Greenwich police detectives recovered the cars a few hours later in New Jersey. No arrests were made, and the case is under investigation.  

The majority of suspects stealing cars in Greenwich are from out of state, according to law enforcement officials.  

Police say they are working with task forces in New York and New Jersey to identify car theft suspects.  

Police say they are also adding extra patrols in the areas of Greenwich where car thieves have frequently been operating.

Town officials say residents should remove the keys from their vehicles and ensure they are locked, even in their garages.

The doors and windows for their garages, as well as their homes, should be locked.

They say residents should never engage or contact any suspicious people on their property and to instead, contact 911 immediately for a rapid police response