‘Lock-Take-Hide’ starting in Gurnee

Gurnee police are trying a new program they hope will cut down on automobile burglaries.

Police have found that a significant percentage of auto burglaries committed in the village are done to vehicles left unlocked, have valuable property in plain view or both.

Damage and property loss resulting from the vehicle burglaries can easily reach into the thousands of dollars and cause heartache to victims. Feelings of being violated often linger.

With that in mind, the Gurnee Police Department is pursuing the “Lock-Take-Hide” theft and burglary prevention program. It as been successfully established in other cities and is credited with reducing auto burglaries in some targeted business areas by as much as 24 percent.

Under the program, brightly colored signs are provided to property owners to post at strategic locations at their businesses. The signs remind patrons and employees to lock their vehicles, take their keys and hide valuable property.

Brochures also are distributed in an area that focus on the problem.

Funded by a Target Corp. grant, Gurnee has purchased a supply of signs to distribute throughout the village. Areas that’ll receive early attention include hotels, health clubs, apartment complexes, entertainment venues, retail locations and selected residential neighborhoods.

To participate in the program, contact Gurnee police crime prevention technician Tom Agos at (847) 599-7080.