A wave of suburban car burglaries has police departments in numerous Chicago-area cities sounding the alarm.
Security video posted by the Des Plaines Police Department shows burglars in action, rummaging through a vehicle in an area driveway. Police said the theft in the footage was one of 30 car break-ins in the past week.
[[486497371, C]]
The thefts, police said, are largely the result of vehicles being left unlocked.
In Woodridge, police said there have been 18 car break-ins in June alone. Six of those took place in the south end of the village. In all but one case, the vehicles were left unlocked.
“We’re trying to encourage people to remember to just lock your car,” said Woodridge Police Department spokesman Jim Hoff.
Park Forest Police said four break-ins were reported in a single morning alone. The department tweeted the following tips for residents:
- Lock your car
- Take your keys
- Hide your belongings
- Fill a decoy purse with thousands of angry and poisonous bees
“Lock your car, that the key,” Hoff said.
Local
Other towns getting hit in the suburban spree include Arlington Heights, Aurora, Niles, Glen Ellyn and Western Springs.
Niles police said they plan to put up electric signs this week at two intersections to remind drivers to lock their cars and take the keys.
