The Bloomfield Police Department is working hard to track car thieves and prevent further crimes. This comes amid a rise in catalytic converter and airbag thefts.

Police say that it all started with a 911 call about the thefts.

“The detectives will go on scene to look and see if there is any type of evidence,” says Capt. George Ricci.

Evidence like security video, which police say there almost always is. Crime scene investigators and detectives will then work to obtain that video, analyze it and use it to track down suspected vehicles.

They recently found such a vehicle in a neighboring town and towed it to the police garage. This is where it will be processed. Everything inside the vehicle will be photographed, fingerprints will be taken, and evidence collected.

“Our detectives found fingerprints, a mask, clothing, burglary tools,” Ricci says.

The evidence will be logged, locked up and stored securely until it is time to be brought to court during a trial.

“That's what we were talking about looking for, evidence that corroborates a theft,” Ricci says.

Bloomfield police say in the past year there have been 64 converters and 25 airbags stolen. They are also using data from past crimes to prevent future ones. Plainclothes officers are positioned in hot spots.

“We go back 30 days and look at time of day, day of week, and locations that [thefts are] taking place - and that gives us the ability to target where we will place our efforts,” says Bloomfield Police Director Samuel DeMaio.

The hope is to deter criminals before they strike.

“It also makes people feel good to know their police department has this great training and we are out there trying to stop the people doing this to them,” says Ricci.

DeMaio says airbag thefts have been on the rise since the summer. They say thieves smash the driver’s window, grab the bag and take off within seconds. He says all 25 of the airbag thefts in town have been from Honda CRVs.