Oak Lawn Police Log 25 Car Burglaries In July

OAK LAWN, IL -- Oak Lawn is experiencing a surge in car burglaries this summer, mostly from unlocked vehicles. Police said 25 car burglaries have been reported so far in the month of July. Break-ins into unlocked vehicles have been trending upward this summer throughout the south suburbs.

“We usually get an uptick in summer,” said Div. Chief Ross Finnelly, of the Oak Lawn Police Department. “It’s hard to get an idea of who it is, if it’s people coming in from the city or juveniles who are out of school. They happen so fast.”

During a three-day period earlier this month, Finnelly said nine vehicles were hit. The village’s northwest quadrant has been particularly hard hit, between Central and Cicero Avenues, and 87th Street to 91st-95th Streets.

“Too many people are leaving their cars unlocked,” Finnelly said. “It’s no long a matter of smash-and-grab. In the suburbs, it’s shaking car door handles looking for unlocked cars.”

Finnelly offered the example of two cars parked in the same driveway. One of the vehicles was locked, leaving it untouched. The other vehicle on the driveway was unlocked and the inside was ransacked. Finnelly said the perps are mostly going for change and anything else they can lay their hands on, including clothing, cell phones, purses, wallets, tablets and laptops. There are even reports in neighboring suburbs of vehicles being stolen because owners are leaving the keys in the ignition or inside their unlocked vehicles.

“People leave stuff in plain view and don’t lock their cars,” Finnelly said. “In this environment they’re not going to go to a car that’s locked.”

Oak Lawn PD suggests that residents get into the routine of checking their car doors at 9 p.m., also known as the #9PMRoutine, are locked. For many car owners, it’s a matter of grabbing their key fobs and hitting the lock symbol. They don’t even have to leave the house.

It bears mentioning again to follow these simple tips to avoid having your vehicle ripped off:

• Always secure the doors and windows to your vehicle.
• Remove valuables from your vehicle -- especially overnight.
• Do not leave the key or key fob in your vehicle when its unoccupied.
• Do not leave keys, loose coins, wallets, phones, GPS navigation devices and other items in clear view inside your vehicle. This also includes your garage door opener.
• Activate your alarm if you have one.
• Install a home security system. It may help police identify a suspicious person prowling around your property and/or your neighbor's property.
• Report suspicious vehicles and people in the neighborhood.
• Take steps to avoid being a target.
• Call 911 immediately to report suspicious or criminal activity.

For more crime prevention tips, follow Oak Lawn PD on Twitter.

Top Photo: Car burglar rips off two cars in under 60 seconds in Palos Heights.