Police sergeant, security expert offer home safety advice

SUN CITY – One burglary has occurred in Sun City since March 7, when Huntley Police Chief John Perkins addressed residents at Drendel Ballroom regarding the nine burglaries in the community since last January.

This most recent burglary took place on April 6 on Cold Springs Drive. Though the resident had been out of town since March 27, Sgt. Michael Hewitt of the Huntley Police Department said the recent burglaries did not sync with “snow bird” residents’ vacation schedules.

Hewitt said there is only one obvious trend in the burglaries: the thieves are looking for the same items. Likewise, his advice to residents remains the same as before.

“The pattern that we’ve seen is all cash and jewelry, and if you have those kind of items, lock them up in a secure safe,” Hewitt said.

What has changed since the burglaries is an increased vigilance among residents. Hewitt said calls to 9-1-1 reporting suspicious people or behavior have increased in the past two months.

Hewitt also noted that interest in Neighborhood Watch in Sun City has picked up since the March 7 meeting. Anyone interested in starting a Neighborhood Watch group can contact Hewitt at 847-515-5334.

Meanwhile, Huntley Police have been deploying surveillance units consisting of officers in plain clothes and plain cars patrolling Sun City. These undercover officers have approached some people in Sun City but found they all had a reason to be there.

Though police provide specialized protection, there are some things residents can do on their own to ensure their security. George Laegeler, president of Integrated Security Specialists, has spoken to Sun City residents in the past and has heard their concerns on home security.

ISS offers home evaluation and installation of customized security systems for homes. Laegeler said customers ask for anything from a comprehensive security and home analysis setup to a couple of locks.

“Anything that makes [burglars] think twice or go somewhere else is better than nothing,” he said.

One thing Laegeler does not recommend is simply buying home security stickers and putting them on windows when property is not actually secured with any system.

Having an actual security system active with a keypad visible from the front door is better, but Laegeler cautions people to keep vigilant about leaving security systems on.

“If the customer doesn’t set it religiously, [thieves] look through the window and they can tell that it’s not on, because they forgot to turn it on,” he said.

Anyone installing security systems in a home is required by law to have a state-approved license. This is enforced to prevent opportunists from finding new target homes by pretending to install systems.

Many modern homes in the area are built with basic locks. A Certified Master Locksmith, Laegeler offered a few options for upgrades.

“What the builder provides is pretty poor; it’s basic security at its best,” Laegeler said. “And if you go to Home Depot, they’re going to have that same quality, maybe one step up, and then that’s about it. And if you go to a locksmith, there’s about two grades above that, so there’s definitely better quality.”

Double cylinder deadbolt locks, which require a key to unlock from both the outside and inside, were a topic of discussion at the March 7 meeting.

“Security-wise, that works extremely well,” Laegeler said of double cylinder deadbolts. “If you talk to a fireman or a fire department or anybody else, they’ll tell you that’s the worst thing in the world because when your house catches on fire, they find you on the floor because you can’t find your keys.”

Laegeler said any residents looking to install such a lock should make certain to know where their keys are at all times to prevent such a misfortune.

Most importantly, Laegeler advised residents to remove the opportunity for thieves to enter their homes by keeping homes secure, keeping valuables hidden, and keeping vacation plans known to only trusted parties.

“There’s a random thief that’s just looking for houses. If he finds an open door, that’s an excellent opportunity. If he decides he’s going to kick down the door, that’s a different opportunity. If he knows who you are and he knows what’s inside your house because he has knowledge of it, those are the hardest to stop because they’re the most determined,” Laegeler said.

---