Analysis: Burglaries Move Sun City Residents to Action

Sun City Huntley  has never had much crime. It is an over-55 community that has a resort-like feel with its clubhouse and golf course.

Sun City residents are concerned but are eager to find ways to protect themselves and their homes. The burglaries have caused many to evaluate how to make their community safer.

“You need to be proactive not reactive,” said Kathie Green, one of the organizers of Sun City’s Neighborhood Watch program, Neighbors Helping Neighbors.

She attended a recent meeting held at Sun City with Huntley Police Chief John Perkins. An estimated 500 people attended.

“All these people are being reactive,” Green said.

It’s a message Perkins is reinforcing, too — be proactive and don’t become a victim.

Huntley police increased patrols and activated a new surveillance team in the area. They also are working with a crime lab to develop leads in the investigations.

But, police are looking for help from the public and encouraging Sun City residents to take safety precautions.

There are things people can do to make it more difficult to burglarize a home, Perkins said. Burglars go into houses that are the easiest to get into, he said. If your house is tough, they will leave and find another target, he said.

Perkins recommends the following:

• Light up recessed front doors.

Many of the homes in Sun City have recessed entryways, which looks nice but helps conceal a burglar, making it a target, Perkins said.

•  Reduce potential reward.

Perkins said the burglar or burglars are not taking large items like television sets. The master bedrooms in the homes burglarized were ransacked, with jewelry and cash taken. “They take what they can carry in their jacket,” he said. Any valuable items should be put into a safe deposit box or in a safe that can be bolted down, he said. 

• Take a home security survey.

Huntley police have a survey on the village’s website that homeowners can use to protect their homes better. The survey is a checklist that helps homeowners evaluate security weaknesses. “I wish everyone would do this with your house, even if we catch the burglar tomorrow,” Perkins told Sun City residents.

Perkins also would like to see active Neighborhood Watch groups in Sun City and throughout the village.

Sun City has four active groups, with 16 in the planning stages, said Green, president of the Neighborhood Watch.

“We are really pushing Neighborhood Watch,” Green said. “The neighborhoods hit don’t have Neighborhood Watch.”

Green is getting ready for an April 18 communitywide training.

While Perkins supports Neighborhood Watch, he said people must be actively involved and not just put up a sign that reads Neighborhood Watch.

A component of Neighborhood Watch is teaching neighbors to be alert and to observe. Police need Sun City residents to be alert and nosy, he said.

For more information on Neighborhood Watch, contact Green at 1-850-428-0582 or at kathie417@gmail.com.