Black pins are recent auto thefts and red pins are recent early evening residential burglaries. Map courtesy of the Wilmette Police Department.
WILMETTE – Five Wilmette homes were burglarized in the early evening during the first two weeks of December and thieves hit five automobiles since November 1, according to a recent Crime Alert from the Wilmette Police Department. All of the residential burglaries involved forced entry, while the auto thefts involved unlocked cars where the keys had been left in the car.
While the string of burglaries is somewhat normal for this time of year, residents should still be aware, according to Deputy Chief of Police Kyle Perkins. “The holidays tend to get an uptick in burglaries but this isn’t anything unusual from years past,” Deputy Perkins told DailyNorthShore.
Two homes were burglarized in the early evening hours over the weekend. On December 14, a home located on the 100 block of Millbrook Lane was broken into but nothing was stolen. Deputy Perkins said it was likely an alarm scared away the robbers. On December 17, there was an attempted break-in at home on the 2700 block of Iroquois Road.
Earlier in December, three other Wilmette homes were burglarized. Deputy Perkins said robbers typically steal small items that are easy to grab and carry, such as jewelry, silverware, cash and small electronics. At this point, all of the cases are under investigation and no arrests have been made.
Wilmette experienced an uptick in auto thefts over the summer, many involving unlocked vehicles. Deputy Perkins said it was uncertain whether recent auto thefts and residential burglaries are related to the summer’s crime spree. But he didn’t rule out the possibility. “Is it possible? Yes,” he said.
For now, residents should be diligent about keeping their cars and homes securely locked. Deputy Perkins recommended that if residents are not home, to leave the house appearing as though it is occupied. “We always tell people to leave on the lights at home and to make it looked lived in,” he said. Extra security systems can also be helpful, such as motion detector lights outside, cameras and video doorbells. Deputy Perkins also advised leaving a television on in an upstairs room a potential burglar could see.