Arlington Heights police recently began a social media campaign, reminding people to lock their cars following a surge in vehicle burglaries, stolen autos and criminal trespass to vehicles. The crime prevention alert was initiated after offenders entered 12 unlocked vehicles in a 39-hour period in late August 2017. Two vehicles were stolen and one gun was stolen from one of the vehicles.
Arlington Heights police listed the following vehicle burglaries and and two auto thefts …
A gun was taken from one of two vehicles burglarized — a 2009 Ford Festiva and a 2009 Ford Flex — in the block of 300 North Yale Avenue;
a wallet was taken out of a 2010 BMW X5 in the block of 600 South Pine Avenue;
a wallet and cash taken out of a 2014 Nissan Rogue in the block of 1000 South Highland Avenue;
loose change was removed from a 2015 Subaru Forester in the block of 1000 West Sigwalt Street;
a wallet removed from a 2009 Lincoln MKS in the block of 900 South Walnut Avenue;
a 50-inch flat screen TV valued at $300 and change removed from a 2015 Chevrolet Malibu in the block of 400 South Ridge Avenue; and
a canvas bag with CDs valued at $25 and coin purse with change removed from a 2012 Hyundai Tucson in the block of 300 block of North Yale Avenue.
Offenders also took two vehicles parked with keys inside the vehicles near the same residence. A 2015 Mazda CX-9 was taken and later recovered in Will County from the block of 400 South Ridge Avenue. A 2017 Ford Fusion was also stolen from the block of 400 of South Ridge Avenue.
Arlington Heights Police Department reported the crimes occurred between Sunday, August 20, 2017 at 4:00 PM and Tuesday, August 22, 2017 at 7:00 AM. The elapsed time range including the time the crime could have occurred is 39:00 (hours: minutes).
Additionally the Arlington Heights Police Department reported the police department is investigating a series of property crimes involving unlocked motor vehicles. Between the dates of June 1, 2017, and August 24, 2017, there were 52 crimes reported involving Motor Vehicle Thefts, Burglary to Motor Vehicles, and Criminal Trespass to Vehicles in the Village of Arlington Heights.
In about 84 days there were …
eight Motor Vehicle Thefts (Stolen Autos),
thirty-four Vehicle Burglaries, and
ten reports of Criminal Trespass to Vehicle.
Nearly all of the crimes occurred during the overnight hours. The majority of the reported incidents in Arlington Heights occurred south of Palatine Road. In seven of the eight stolen vehicle reports, the victims reported leaving car keys in unlocked vehicles.
Similar types of crimes have been reported in Mount Prospect, Hoffman Estates, Rolling Meadows, Palatine, Elk Grove Village, Highland Park, Deerfield, Skokie, and Niles. Police described the incidents as a surge in these crimes. Naperville Police Department recently reported 90 percent of vehicle burglaries involved keys left inside vehicles.
On August 24, 2017, Arlington Heights Police Department started a social media campaign featuring memes with images of the animated film Toy Story, Bill Murray in Stripes, Wayne’s World, and the Austin Powers film series. See samples of the campaign below …
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The Arlington Heights Police Department wants you to be safe. By practicing these suggested crime prevention tips you can help reduce the chance that you will become the victim of these crimes.
• Ensure your vehicle is locked and the windows are rolled up.
• Do not leave items of value unattended in your vehicle.
• Do not leave car keys or key fobs inside your vehicle.
• Park your vehicle in a secure garage if possible.
• Park in a well-lit area if possible.
• Call 911 immediately and provide a detailed description of any suspicious people, including any vehicle description and license plate information.
• Share this important prevention information with your family, friends and neighbors.