Vehicle Burglary on Track to Outpace Last Year

Car break-ins seem to be in a lot of blotters recently, so Patch wanted to speak with police about prevention.

Sgt. Mike Holdman, , said what is happening now is young kids, gang members and drug addicts, looking for easy money, walk around neighborhoods looking for unlocked cars.

“The number one thing is, understand that you cannot leave valuables inside a car in this day and age at night,” Holdman said. “It’s just not the smartest thing to do.”

In 2009 the number of burglary to vehicle incidents was 273; in 2010 it was 153. As of Nov. 1 there were 149 burglary to vehicle incidents in Des Plaines so far this year.

Police responded to a burglary to vehicle report in the 100 block of W. Ambleside Road at 12:02 a.m. on Nov. 1. According to the report, the complainant saw two unknown offenders at the end of a driveway. He also saw the driver’s side doors were open on two vehicles and their dome lights were on.

Earlier:

The man yelled at the offenders, who then took off running eastbound on Ambleside Road towards Victoria Road. The man followed the offenders, who both had dark backpacks. The offenders then turned left again to go west on Lance Drive before the man lost sight of them. He then called 911.

When police arrived on the scene they learned from the owners of the vehicles that an iPod and GPS device were missing.

Police reported seeing two subjects running with backpacks northbound through the field near Brentwood , 588 Dara James Road, at about 12:30 a.m. Police lost sight of the subjects as they ran into a backyard at Bell Drive and Millers Road.

Additional officers responded to the scene and a perimeter was established. A K-9 unit from Hoffman Estates Police Department arrived on the scene shortly after 1 a.m.

Two dark-colored backpacks were recovered from a backyard in the 300 block of W. Millers Road. The backpacks contained the iPod and GPS device reported missing as well as other items including a digital camera, two cell phones, men’s gloves and a knit hat.

Holdman commended his department for solving many of the burglaries and burglaries to vehicles, which are some of the most difficult crimes to solve because there are usually no witnesses and no evidence, he said.

In the 14 years with the department Holdman said he hasn’t necessarily seen an increase in burglaries to vehicles.

“Just like everything else it comes in waves,” he said.

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