Someone went through four cars on three different Hinsdale blocks overnight Sunday-Monday, July 12-13, and every one of them was unlocked.
The Hinsdale Police Department reported two vehicles burglarized in the 5600 block of South Washington Street, one in the 10 block of East Seventh Street, and one in the 5600 block of South Garfield Avenue. In each case, the car's interior was rummaged through. No arrests have been made and no suspect descriptions have been released.
The police blotter, released Tuesday, July 14, marks the second cluster of overnight vehicle burglaries reported in Hinsdale since early June, when a separate string of break-ins was reported the week of June 9-10, according to a Hinsdale Journal report published June 23.
The incidents fit a pattern the Hinsdale Police Department has documented for nearly a decade: opportunistic overnight burglaries targeting unlocked vehicles across western suburban communities. In a November 2017 monthly activity report, then-Chief Brian King wrote that the department recognized the crimes as "part of a regional crime pattern" and that nearby communities had experienced far greater numbers.
By August 2018, King was more direct in his monthly report: "They are drawn to communities where they can find high end vehicles that are unlocked with the fobs inside. We continue to encourage residents to lock their vehicles and remove their keys. Although total number of incidents are low, we recognize that this is a totally preventable crime."
No current-year HPD monthly activity report or annual crime data has been published. The department's most recent publicly available monthly reports date to 2018. Residents seeking incident reports from the July 12-13 burglaries may file a FOIA request through the Hinsdale Police Department.
Trespassing call at IBLP property
In a separate incident on Monday, July 13, Hinsdale police officers and firefighters responded to a fire alarm at approximately 8:30 p.m. at the Institute in Basic Life Principles, 707 W. Ogden Ave. Officers found a door open and two fire extinguishers discharged inside the building. No one was found on the premises and no charges have been filed.
The 32.45-acre IBLP property at the corners of Ogden Avenue and Adams Street has been largely vacant and the subject of Village Board redevelopment discussions since at least 2019.
What residents can do
The Hinsdale Police Department has urged residents to lock all vehicles and remove key fobs from cars parked in driveways overnight. Incident reports are available through Illinois FOIA (5 ILCS 140), and DuPage County court records can be accessed through the DuPage County Circuit Clerk's office.
