The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents in Long Grove and other affluent areas about an increase in home burglaries recently.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said last week there had been five burglaries in the previous three weeks in Long Grove.
A burglary occurs when an offender unlawfully enters a residence by either forcing a door or window open, or entering through an unsecured entry point with the intent to commit a theft.
Most of the burglaries occurred when the homeowners were not home.
The most recent burglaries primarily occurred on Friday or Saturday evenings from 4:30 p.m. to midnight.
While this has been the trend, it does not mean these times will remain consistent, the sheriff’s office said.
Homes backing up to the woods, parks, lakes and golf courses have been most vulnerable.
These thieves drive a variety of vehicles. They may be newer cars, luxury cars or other clean-looking vehicles, the sheriff’s office said.
“They do this in an attempt to blend in. Sometimes, these vehicles have out of state license plates, but sometimes they do not,” Covelli said.
Law enforcement said they rely on the community to be their eyes and ears.
The Long Grove community is encouraged to contact the sheriff’s office at 847-549-5200 if they see or hear something out of the ordinary in their neighborhood.
Crimes in progress should be reported by calling 911, not the non-emergency number.
“The sheriff’s office would much rather respond to a false alarm, than let a burglar get away,” Covelli said.
The sheriff’s office said they recommend residents alarm their alarm system when away and consider exterior cameras.
Residential entry points and vehicles should be locked when unoccupied and residents who go out of town can contact the sheriff’s office to place their home on a house watch.