Big jump in stolen, burglarized vehicles in Carpentersville tied to unlocked doors, running engines

Twenty-one vehicles have been stolen and 41 burglarized in Carpentersville since January, 99% of which are the result of doors being left unlocked, keys left inside or engines left running, police say.

Locking doors “would solve a lot of our problems,” Deputy Chief Kevin Stankowitz said. “We’ve been trying to educate the public not to leave their keys inside their cars.”

Police are spreading the slogan, “If you like it, lock it,” in the wake of the crime wave, and urging residents to be smart about how they leave their vehicles when they head into their homes or elsewhere, Stankowitz said.

Stolen and burglarized cars tend to be crimes of opportunity, he said. Thieves are looking for easy targets and most won’t try to get into a locked vehicle unless there’s something of value that can be seen inside.

Most of the incidents have occurred on the village’s east side at the Eden Prairie Apartments, formerly the Meadowdale Apartments, and in the Old Town area, Stankowitz said.

“We’ve been upping patrols and exploring other investigative tactics,” he said.

They’ve also been trying to alert residents through social media in an effort to get people to change their habits and be proactive so they can head off crimes before they happen, he said.

The police department has 60 sworn officers and is authorized for 62. Seven new officers were recently sworn in and are currently being trained at the police academy, Stankowitz said. Three other new officers were lateral transfers and are on the job, he said.

The department’s ranks were increased this year when the Carpentersville Village Board authorized hiking the number of officers from 58 to 62, Stankowitz said. But getting those new hires on board can be a challenge, he said.

Fewer people are choosing to go into law enforcement in recent years and there’s a lot of competition for those who are in the job market, a situation not unique to the suburban Chicago area.

“It’s hard to find quality candidates, but we’ve had a decent number of applications in the last testing (cycle),” Stankowitz said.

Creation of a new hiring eligibility list is under way. The police department tests applicants and then places them on a hiring list to be offered jobs in the order they are ranked. Once the list is completed, it will be good for two years.

Applications to be considered for testing will be accepted through Monday. For more information, go to cville.org/458/Police-Employment.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.