Geneva police advise you to lock your cars

Geneva police are reminding residents to lock their car doors after a number of surrounding Fox Valley communities have seen an increase in thefts and burglaries from vehicles in the past month.

In Geneva, police are urging residents to be mindful of suspicious activity and to immediately report those incidents to authorities after seeing an uptick in car burglaries citywide the past several weeks.

Offenders are primarily entering unlocked cars, taking valuables and even the vehicle itself if keys are left inside.

Oftentimes, stolen cars are used to commit crimes in other towns. A majority of these incidents are crimes of opportunity and are preventable with assistance from residents.

In addition to locking their cars, residents can assist police by calling 911 immediately to report suspicious activity in their neighborhood. Information obtained from the call may be key to solving a crime in Geneva or another community.

To make property less of a target for criminals, people should lock their cars and remove valuables such as computers, phones, electronics, purses, money, keys, etc. each night. Residents also should check that their garage door is closed, windows are secured, and access doors to the garage and home are locked.

Outdoor lighting may act as a deterrent in some cases since many car burglaries occur overnight.

The Geneva Police Department thanks residents for their cooperation in keeping Geneva a safe community.