Following the break-in of two vehicles on Wednesday, Lake Bluff Police are reminding residents to lock their vehicles and keep valuables out of sight.
Two cars were found burglarized in the 900 bock of North Shore Drive between 9-and 10 a.m. Sept. 21. The vehicles were parked in a parking lot, and the side windows were broken to take purses left on the seats.
One witness observed two male black subjects in their early 20s driving a green SUV in the area prior to the burglaries. Similar suspects and incidents have been reported recently in neighboring communities.
"If you have valuables in your car, please take them with you. If you are at an athletic club or golf course, lock them in a locker or secure them in your trunk," Lake Bluff Deputy Police Chief David Belmonte stated. “Leaving them in plain view in your car almost creates a one stop-shopping opportunity for a thief"
Police officers routinely check various lots in town and often observe valuables left sitting in a car.
"When we're walking around a parking lot, I think it's probably maybe every fourth or fifth car, we're finding an opportunity," he said.
Lake Bluff Police said iPhones, GPS systems, video games, day planners all contain information to steal identities, and backpacks and purses with cash, credit cards, and other electronics need to be secured.
Lake Bluff Police remind everyone to call 9-1-1 to report any suspicious activity in a parking lot.
“If people are not leaving or entering the parking lot right away, they probably should not be there. We need to know when someone is hanging around or walking and looking into cars,” Belmonte said.
To report any informtion on the car burglaries, call Lake Bluff Police at (847) 234-2153.
It might be beneficial for the police and city officials to mention—via the media-- how easy it is to report a suspicion, and that your own personal information would not be needed to do so. We all know that citizen awareness can fight crime, and making it easy and comfortable to report a suspicion is crucial.