Hinsdale Police Address Another String of Car Thefts This Week

The Hinsdale Police Department responded to 15 calls for service Oct. 15 that were all auto theft-related, the department reported.

Victims in southeast Hinsdale reported that between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, several items were stolen from their unlocked vehicles that were parked either in their driveways or in the streets outside of their homes.

Stolen items include a MacBook computer, an iPad, a backpack containing a wallet, sunglasses and loose coins. As a precaution, the Hinsdale Police Department is asking all residents to make sure they lock their vehicles prior to leaving them unattended, particularly overnight. Locking your car is the easiest way to prevent auto theft, the department stated in a release.

“Our community and residents are very resourceful and I’m asking that anyone who may have a security camera on their property review their storage to see if there is any information available that may aid with our investigation,” Hinsdale Police Chief Kevin Simpson said in the release.

Hinsdale, as well as several other Chicago suburbs, have seen a rise in auto theft since the beginning of 2016. Information developed earlier this year, the police department stated, suggested the stolen cars could have been used in the commission of other serious crimes in Chicago.

“It’s important to recognize that these are very different crimes and it’s too early in the investigation to say that these recent incidents are somehow related,” Simpson said. “Our officers are well-informed and very diligent in their efforts to prevent and apprehend these officers. Patrol tactics have been altered based on intelligence and we will continue to work with surrounding agencies to take the necessary steps to address this activity.”

If you have any information related to these cases, the Hinsdale police ask you contact their department at 630-789-7070.

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Photo by Anicka Slachta for Patch.