Windows were smashed on two cars at the Lake Bluff train station parking lot and items taken Thursday prompting Deputy Police Chief David Belmonte to offer suggestions to reduce the chances of car burglaries.

According to a news release from the Lake Bluff Police Department, officers received a call at 8:45 a.m. Thursday that two vehicles parked at the train station had smashed windows on the drivers’ side. Loose change, sunglasses, a GPS unit and a cell phone charger were taken.

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Belmonte indicated car burglaries like these are common along the North Shore, particularly in large parking lots like train stations or corporate locations. Valuables are often in plain sight to a person who might be thinking of breaking in.

“A thief will break your car window for 83 cents,” Belmonte said in the release. “To some your spare change is a fortune. Park in a spot that has a lot of foot traffic and is well lit. Avoid parking on isolated side streets. Park in attended lots whenever possible.”

Keeping a car clean with nothing showing is a key way to avoid a theft, according to Belmonte. Items that are going to stay in the car should be placed in the trunk before arriving at a destination.

GPS devices require special attention. “Always wipe the suction cup ring off on your windshield,” Belmonte said in the release. “It’s a dead give-away to a thief that a GPS device is in the car and even if you take it with you, a thief will smash your window to find out.”

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