Police: 93% of cars stolen in Naperville were unlocked

The "lock it or lose it" lesson police have been promoting in Naperville might not have sunk in for the vast majority of residents who had their cars stolen last year.

That's because there was no sign of forced entry in 93% of motor vehicle thefts in 2019, police said Tuesday as they released last year's crime data. That means the cars in those cases were unlocked.

Investigators also found no signs of forced entry in 77% of burglaries to motor vehicles, 75% of residential burglaries and 48% of commercial burglaries.

"You've heard many times us talking about 'lock it or lose it,'" Police Chief Robert Marshall said. "We are still seeing a significant increase in burglaries from unlocked cars and unlocked homes."

Why? One offender who was found victimizing homes off Hobson Road on the city's east side told investigators it's because suburban areas where doors are unlocked are "easy pickings," Marshall said.

The city reported 73 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, 210 burglaries to motor vehicles and 155 burglaries.

Two of the crime categories saw decreases from 2018, when there were 312 burglaries to motor vehicles and 176 burglaries. But motor vehicle thefts occurred more often in 2019 than in 2018, when 68 cars were reported stolen.

Police were surprised to find through analytics efforts conducted by a newly formed administrative services division just how often these stolen cars were left unlocked.

"We knew the amount of motor vehicles that were being stolen was high that were unlocked, but we didn't know it was 93%," Cmdr. Mike Son said. "So that was one thing we were shocked by."

Police are renewing their calls for people to "fortify your house in any way you can," Deputy Chief Jason Arres said.

That includes locking doors of cars that are left on driveways and removing garage-door openers from them, locking cars that are inside garages, and locking access doors from garages to homes.

"At least you can prevent that next step of someone entering your home," Arres said.

Other crime prevention measures include keeping on interior and exterior lights, and installing a security camera system and posting a sign about it. Police encourage residents to call them whenever there is suspicious behavior - without worrying about being a nuisance.

"Bother us. That's our job," Arres said. "Our job is to serve the residents of this community. You are not a bother to the men and women who are responding to these calls. That's what we need to do because that's what's going to help us catch these criminals that are coming in and victimizing residents."