Vernon Hills burglaries drop

Are burglars who had been targeting Vernon Hills, Buffalo Grove and Libertyville on a break or have they been taken off the street elsewhere?

Police say they aren't sure, but either way, the number of residential break-ins has fallen significantly in those communities in recent months.

The most recent statistics show that through May, three burglaries were reported in Vernon Hills, compared with 23 for the same period last year. Buffalo Grove has seen nine during that time, compared to 15 in 2009.

That's good news for local police, although they are not resting just yet. Recent arrests in nearby communities may have stemmed the flow, but there has been a lack of evidence connecting those arrests to local break-ins, officials said.

"We're still working on it. We won't be satisfied until we get some resolution on ours," Vernon Hills Deputy Chief Bill Price said.

After a break-in in early February, Vernon Hills police alerted residents to be aware of suspicious activity or vehicles.

That burglary was similar to several others reported in the Vernon Hills, Buffalo Grove, Libertyville and Mundelein area, according to police.

Burglaries in those communities also had been on the rise, leading police to speculate a single group of thieves may have committed scores of break-ins during the past two years.

Has the ring been broken?

"I don't think so," Price said. "I don't think we've seen the end of it."

In Buffalo Grove, two burglaries were reported in May, according to police Cmdr. Steve Husak.

"Compared to last year at this time, we're down quite a lot," he said.

Husak said an arrest in February linked an individual to at least four burglaries - mainly of television sets - in that town.

"I'm not 100 percent convinced it's one crew or one group," he said of those responsible for previous burglary spree. "Maybe they got arrested somewhere (else) and it slowed things down."

In Libertyville, police listed nine residential burglary reports through May compared with 12 for the same period in 2009, though because of the way they are classified the actual number could be lower.

But something else has surfaced in the village.

"Our residential burglaries are down but our garage burglaries are up," Lt. Scott Fabbri said.

Thieves have been targeting unlocked, detached garages in the Heritage area near downtown, taking electronic devices from vehicles.

The residential burglaries involved forced entry and occurred when no one was home, he said.

"We don't believe it's the same crew," according to Fabbri.

Husak said added patrols continue with attention on suspicious vehicles. Price said Vernon Hills residents should remain vigilant as well. Libertyville residents are advised to lock up.

Vernon Hills Trustee Jim Schultz noted the residential burglary drop at a recent village board meeting.

"They've either been arrested or moved on and that seems to have (made) a big impact," he said.