Gurnee police warn of car burglaries

Multiple vehicle burglaries in Gurnee have police warning residents to lock cars and stow valuables out of view of potential thieves.

Police have recorded 14 car burglaries villagewide since Thanksgiving — nearly twice as many as the typical average. Of those, seven have occurred in residential areas and seven occurred in the business district.

“(In the business district), we really think a lot of it has to do with a lot of more people in our shopping district. The weather has just been so nice that they’ve been out on foot,” said Tom Agos, crime analyst with the Gurnee Police Department.

In those, windows have been smashed to steal items that were left visible — such as GPS devices, phones and purses.

The residential burglaries have all taken place after dark, the majority the result of unlocked cars.

“We just want to remind people to lock up their stuff and hide their personal items,” Agos said.

Additionally, leaving lights on overnight deters crime, Agos said.

Anyone with information about the burglaries can call the Gurnee police department at (847) 599-7000 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at (847) 662-2222.