The Cardinal doesn’t normally offer rebuttal on comment sections from other media providers, but when facts published in The Cardinal can simply dispute outrageously untrue comments, it’s time to put a spotlight on the inaccurate statements. Comments were publicly posted today by “jimshew” following an article nicely and suitably reported by the Daily Herald Arlington Heights police looking for the Honda burglars (Comments)
The reader makes the claim that the Arlington Heights police can’t solve car burglaries …
If you think Arlington Heights cops are going to solve car burglaries your [sic] nuts. If it isn’t a speeding ticket or illegal lane change ticket they are nowhere to be found.
— jimshew
Following are cases involving the arrest of thirteen burglary suspects in Arlington Heights by Arlington Heights police that The Cardinal has reported in the last two years and four months. You will see that most of these cases were assisted by help from alert citizens who called police in a timely manner.
Vehicle Burglary Suspects Arrested After “Burglary-in-Progress” Call On North Windsor
SAT MAR 19 2011 — Immediately following a vehicle burglary in progress call, police responded and eventually arrested three suspects with the help of a K-9 unit. While police were investigating the vehicle burglary on Windsor, they discovered two males parked in a Mercury Sable with illegal drug paraphernalia and made two additional arrests (See The Cardinal Alert Police Looking for Vehicle Burglary Suspects Find Unrelated Men with Drug Paraphernalia).
Samuel H. Lee Arrested As Suspect in 52 Arlington Heights Vehicle Burglaries Since June 2010
SUN JAN 02 2011 — Samuel H. Lee, who possessed a camera and two GPS devices, was apprehended just 10 minutes after the first reports of multiple burglaries were called in to police about 1:45 a.m. Samuel H. Lee was named a suspect in about 52 burglaries ranging in dates from June 8, 2010 and January 2, 2011 in an area bounded roughly by Arlington Heights Road, Northwest Highway, Arthur Avenue, and Central Road.
Two Arrested on South Roosevelt After Vehicle Burglaries on Dryden and Roosevelt
WED DEC 08 2010 — Immediately following a vehicle burglary in the 800 block of South Dryden Place about 6:40 p.m., police arrested two suspects in the 400 block of South Roosevelt. One of the offenders resisted arrest. Both suspects were charged with burglary to motor vehicle.
Suspicious Person, Vehicle Burglary in Progress, Foot Pursuit, Arrest on West Rand
SAT SEP 10 2010 — Responding immediately to a call that a man was prowling around vehicles near Stonebridge Apartments, police were in a foot pursuit within two minutes, and had a suspect in custody that was charged with three counts of burglary to motor vehicle. Five burglaries had occurred just the week before — just south of the arrest location and south of Rand Road (See The Cardinal Burglary to Vehicle West Lasalle Street).
Auto Burglary in Progress, Foot Pursuit, Two Arrested Just Southwest of Kennicott and Rand
FRI APR 30 2010 — Police responded to a report of a car alarm activated on North Kennicott about 4:20 a.m., and then received an update from a citizen that the suspects were walking northbound on Lafayette Street. After a foot pursuit, a first suspect was apprehended just after 5:00 a.m. A second suspect was apprehended by 5:30 a.m. At least eight vehicles were reported burglarized later that morning as people woke up.
Mario Navidad, 18, Jonathan Cabrero, 17 Arrested for Multiple Car, GPS Burglaries
APR 2009 — Police arrested Mario Navidad, 18, Jonathan Cabrero, 17, and charged the suspects with multiple counts of burglary for multiple break-ins at the La Quinta Inn, at 1415 E. Dundee Road, Palatine, and the parking lot of Arlington Lanes at 3435 N. Kennicott Avenue, Arlington Heights.
Arlington Heights Police Round Up Two Burglars Overnight/Early Monday Morning Near Stonebridge Apartments
MON DEC 15 2008 — Police sprinted out of their police squad cars into winter temperatures falling below 20°F and into the teens for a foot pursuit that resulted in the capture of one suspect about 1:00 a.m. and a second suspect about an hour later. A church was also burglarized and vandalized near Rand and Hintz Road that night. A crime spree of vehicle burglaries lasted several months prior to those arrests. At least one of the suspects in this crime would end up as a repeat offender more than two years later in one of the cases already mentioned above.
A second false and misleading statement by “jimshew” in the comment section following the Daily Herald article is listed here …
The north side of town has had an ongoing car and home burglary problem for a year and they can’t catch anybody. And you knwo [sic] it is a kid because they have been mostly hitting unlocked cars . So you would think if they can’t figure out a kid burglarizing cars how are they going to figure out a [sic] adult burglar like this.
— jimshew
The statements by the commenter are misleading to other readers, who would be inclined to believe that the Arlington Heights police only work on easy traffic stops on a daily basis, and don’t work on any serious cases. In fact, the belief is very far from the truth. Almost every day police are involved in traffic stops on the streets of Arlington Heights that involve people (residents and non-residents) who happen to have extensive criminal histories. Often they are WANTED and are taken into custody. They are held in an Arlington Heights police jail until they are extradited to the law agency that wants them or they are taken to bond court by Arlington Heights police officers. Criminal offenses include drivers who are driving with suspended/revoked licenses, drivers who are driving while their licenses are suspended for DUI, drivers who are intoxicated, and drivers and passengers that possess illegal drugs/controlled substances. Sometimes drivers are driving a stolen auto and are immediately arrested. Often the people who are stopped on traffic stops, although not wanted, have extensive criminal histories with convictions, including homicide, armed robbery, larceny, possession and delivery of controlled substances, possession of dangerous drugs, sexual predator behavior, armed robbery, trespassing, invasion of privacy, burglary, retail theft, or gang cautions (Vice Lords, Latin Kings, Gangster Disciples, Gaylord Street Gang, Latin Counts). Of course, occasionally the drivers are wanted for one or more of these serious offenses (See The Cardinal Arlington Heights Police Capture Lake Zurich Armed Robbery Suspect).
Any inadequacies in the protection of our public safety are not likely due to ineffective police work. The problems are more likely due to overbooked or ineffective courts, ineffective laws and policies, harmful or corrupt politics, and ineffective rehabilitation of criminals — or just the problematic nature of a free society.
In the case of Mathew Nellessen, who is charged with killing his father on April 12, 2011, he was just released from jail on March 25, 2011 after serving time for residential burglary. Prior to his prison sentence, he violated probation with an incident involving drugs. And between his release on March 25 and the alleged homicide on April 12, he was arrested by Kildeer police for driving with a suspended or revoked driver’s license and suspended registration. There are plenty of suspects and offenders revolving through the system to keep the Arlington Heights police and other police busy. The Cardinal finds the Arlington Heights law officers’ record for vehicle burglary arrests commendable.
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Very good posting.
I have lived in this town for 50 years so I will rebuttal anything your website states. Over the last 5 years due to the surrounding low income areas we have bordering or in our own town and the demographics of these citizens the amount of petty thefts has skyrocted . I don’t care what kind of figures the town puts out. I read your website and have heard from neighbors and friends the amount of crimes are happening on a daily basis.Fighting these petty thefts takes money which right now the town does not have. But giving tickets for license plate light being out or illegal lane change brings in revenue so these are the things the police are concentrating their effort on.Prove e wrong . I bet there were 4 car burglaries int e time I just wote this and somebody just got pulled over for not signaling a right turn.
Jim Shew — You are right on target about the high number of thefts and other crimes. You, having lived in Arlington Heights 50 years, are deservedly discouraged about the news of criminal activities, etc. Presumably, you would like the correct methods in place to fight crime. Criticizing the police officers or police management is not productive and is a waste of energy. Citizen awareness is key to fighting crime. Citizens that know how to give IMMEDIATE detailed descriptions of offenders and offenders’ vehicles (with correct license plate numbers) are especially helpful. Your statements only serve to discourage people from even reporting suspicious activity (if citizens think police aren’t effective). When crime is high, that doesn’t prove that police aren’t doing their jobs. Your statement that the police can’t catch vehicle burglars is just untrue. Regarding license plate lighting failure? Failed vehicle lighting usually brings a warning, with an opportunity to show the corrected failure — eliminating any fine.
— The Cardinal
Let me tell you something I do respect the police as much as anyone in fact I have several friends that are policeman. My problem is that they are told where to concentrate their efforts. I know the state will appropiate money for special safety checks and other related efforts at catching drunks. But here is why there is so much crime in my area, my neighbors and I talk all the time about the lack of police presence in our neighborhood. It is months in between where I see a police car drive down our street.So what is to deter a burglar knowing this same fact. I would be willing to pay more in taxes to get more police presence in our area but it won’t happen.
My parents (residents for 42 years) lawn sustained $2600 in damage after some punks poured a grass killer all over it. This is on Cleveland Ave. I called the police, and they didn’t volunteer to send anybody over for a report or to setup a paper trail.
I had to sell the house after my dad passed last summer. I read for months in 2010 and extending into 2011 about vandals/car burglars attacking the Scarsdale/Park Manor area. Many reports were in the Cardinal.
I had to repair and cleanup the property so I spent many hours there…all the time worried about these ongoing vandal and car burglary reports. I NEVER saw any police patrolling that area, despite having to spend countless hours watering new sod, and redoing landscaping and hauling out garbage, often late into the evening.
I have no connection to that area, now the house is sold, but judging from the abundant police reports in the central part of town reported in the Cardinal and Herald there is a problem that needs some community policing and action and more patrols.
Jim Shew — Next time, why don’t you call the police and talk to a police administrator directly with your concerns instead of dragging their good reputation through the mud to a show off your point to the peanut gallery. Your passive aggressive, drama queen assessment of the AHPD does nothing but give more idiots the courage to try a car burglary. Those wannabe criminals might get away with a few car burglaries, but eventually they will find out that you were wrong — that the Arlington Heights police CAN catch car burglars. But in the meantime several more ignorant residents who leave their vehicles unlocked will have lost their GPS devices, laptops and iPods.