Buffalo Grove police: 4 burglaries in 3 days on north side

Buffalo Grove police told concerned residents Thursday there were four burglaries on the north side of town in three days earlier this month and asked for their help in preventing new ones.

More than 40 residents attended the community meeting with three police department representatives at the village's Half Day Road fire station, some of the residents burglary victims and several with specific and often pointed questions about the crimes.

Officer Thomas Derken said four burglaries occurred Nov. 4, 5 and 6. Three of them occurred near Stevenson High School.

He said 27 burglaries have been committed this year, as opposed to 21 at this time last year. There were a total of 24 last year.

Lt. Tim Gretz told the crowd that police are being proactive, including deploying marked and unmarked cars to residential areas.

"We're trying to do the best that we can. But we obviously need your help. You know your neighborhood better than we do," he said. "We need you to be vigilant."

If there is a suspicious vehicle or person in the neighborhood, he said, call 911 immediately and a patrol vehicle would respond to the location.

Derken offered practical advice, too, emphasizing that burglars target residences when no one is home. He said residents should make themselves a "hard target," ensuring that doors are locked and lights are on.

He also warned against spreading the word on social media when going away.

He said burglars do not want to draw attention to themselves, so even a sticker claiming there is an alarm in a house might dissuade a burglar.

Resident Sherry Chen said her neighbor's house has been broken into. From what she has heard, she said, "it seems they are really targeting (the area), especially to Asians. That's why I am concerned."

Resident Greg Wallace said his apartment was burglarized last April while he and his wife were out for dinner. The burglar jimmied his patio door and took jewelry and electronics.

"I just hope to hear that they are taking actions to look for people that are doing these types of crimes and also taking actions to prevent it from happening to other people, too," he said before the meeting.

Resident Jim Bertoglio said his experience with police has been positive. Once someone tried to break into his home when he was out of town and his wife and daughter were at home.

His wife called police, who arrived within minutes. The burglar took off through the backyard.

He said a police matron stayed with his family overnight.

"I think they are very good," he said.