Wilmette police say residents should lock their cars, garages and houses following more than two dozen burglaries to unlocked vehicles and garages overnight Oct. 18 and Oct. 19.
In addition to 24 car burglaries, which netted unknown burglars small amounts of cash, sunglasses, binoculars a GPS unit, and golf clubs, police also reported four garage burglaries.
Police Chief Kyle Murphy said Tuesday residents should lock their car doors after removing any valuables, including keys: “That way we make the village less attractive to criminals looking for easy access to vehicles.”
According to police reports, all 28 incidents took place in west Wilmette. Six of the burglaries to unlocked vehicles took place on the 2100 through 2300 blocks of Kenilworth Avenue. Police reports stated that another two took place on the 2100 block of Chestnut Avenue, two further west in Wilmette on the 3900 and 4000 blocks of Fairway Drive, and one each on the first block of Indian Hill Road, the 2200 block of Cleveland Street and the 1200 block of Colgate Street.
The garage burglaries took place on the 2100 and 2200 blocks of Chestnut, the 2300 block of Kenilworth, and the 1200 block of Hunter Road, police said.
Murphy also urged residents to act when they see or hear anything suspicious around or near their properties.
“If you hear or see something, call 911 immediately,” Murphy said.
In two of the reported cases, victims told police they heard car doors slamming or alarms going off. Neither victim called police immediately to report suspicious activity, police said.
That included a 12:30 a.m. burglary on the 4000 block of Fairway, in which someone got into an unlocked car and took binoculars and sunglasses, and the victim reported hearing car doors being slammed.
During the incident on the 2100 block of Chestnut, a victim later told police she awoke around 2:45 a.m. to the sound of her garage service door alarm going off, but didn’t investigate. Police later found that someone entered and searched her garage, as well as the two unlocked cars parked in her driveway. Nothing was taken in that instance, and police reports indicate that nothing was taken in at least 10 of the reported incidents.
Murphy said changing residents’ habits so that they lock their car doors is a priority.
He also said people should be aware of security issues around their garages and residences, including the necessity of locking doors.
“We’re at a point in the year where there’s typically an uptick in the number of residential burglaries, so people should make sure they have their lights on a timer, and make sure their outdoor lights are working,” he said.
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Murphy said people can sign up for crime alerts issued by the department, a service he said can help residents be aware of potential criminal activity across Wilmette. People can sign up by visiting the village website at www.wilmette.com, and visiting the police department page. The direct link is https://www.wilmette.com/police-department/crime-alerts-and-news-releases/.
Twitter: @pioneer_kathy