Protect your car; take your keys

Two automobiles were stolen in Vernon Hills this past weekend. One was taken from a single family residence and one from a multifamily residence. Many more vehicles have been stolen in the surrounding suburbs this summer. This is ironic, as the anti-theft protection in modern vehicles is better than ever making it very difficult to steal a car today. However, these crimes all share something in common: the vehicles were left unlocked and the key or keyless fob was left inside the vehicle.

Most of these vehicle thefts are committed by young offenders who have poor driving skills and no interest in caring for stolen vehicles. Often. the cars are abused before being abandoned in another city. If the car is recovered, it will be void of any valuables and may never feel the same to the owner.

The victim can also expect to receive violation notices in the mail for months after-wards. Red-light cameras, speed cameras, toll violations and parking violations don't care who's driving a car. In each case and each jurisdiction, the owner of the vehicle will have to follow up to ensure those violations are dismissed, a process easier in some communities than others.

The Vernon Hills Police Department actively patrols our community. We conduct criminal investigations in every case of a stolen vehicle. When enough evidence is available to charge an individual, we will fully prosecute the case.

All of this can be avoided by the simple step of locking our vehicles and taking our keys and key fobs with us every time. Removing or hiding valuables will also encourage a thief to look elsewhere for an easy target.

We can better safeguard our community by all doing our part. Please don't run the risk of being victimized for such a minor inconvenience.

Patrick L. Kreis, Chief of Police

Vernon Hills