Bolingbrook Police Issues Community Alert – Vehicle Burglaries and Thefts on the Rise

The Chicagoland area has seen a large uptick in motor vehicle thefts and burglaries to motor vehicles. Bolingbrook is not immune to these trends and has experienced an increased rate of these reports in recent weeks.

The current wave of car thefts has been fueled by a social media challenge and primarily targets Kia and Hyundai vehicles. A report from Forbes identifies 2016-2021 Hyundai Accent, Elantra, Elantra GT, Sonata, Veloster, Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Sport, Santa Fe XL and Palisade models as well as 2011-2021 Kia models that use a physical key to start the engine as the most vulnerable vehicles in this current trend. Vehicle models with “push-button-to-start” systems are less vulnerable.

The Bolingbrook Police Department encourages owners of these vehicles to contact their local dealers for possible software updates and aftermarket theft prevention devices being offered by each company. Additionally, we urge residents to be vigilant in helping to prevent these crimes.

The BPD reminds all vehicle owners of the following safety tips:

• Park in a garage if one is available
• Leave your home’s exterior lights on at night
• Lock your doors – every time
• Do not leave your car running and unoccupied
• Do not leave valuables visible in your car – purses, laptops, tablets, etc
• Consider affordable anti-theft devices such as a steering wheel lock

Finally, the BPD calls on our residents to work together in protecting our community. Please contact our non-emergency line at (630) 226-8670 any time you see suspicious activity.

Anyone with information about these types of incidents can contact the Bolingbrook Police Department Investigations Division at 630-226-8620 or to remain anonymous call Crime Stoppers at 630-378-4772. A tip may also be submitted at bolingbrookcrimestoppers.org or by using the mobile P3 Tips app. All contact with Crime Stoppers is anonymous and if the information leads to an arrest, a cash reward may be issued.

If anyone has any other felony crime or safety related information or the location of an offender with a felony warrant, contact Crime Stoppers.