Crime & Safety

Oak Forest Police Begin 'Lock it or Lose It' Program

The Oak Forest Police Department will start a 'Lock it or Lose it,' campaign Monday, April 1, reminding residents to properly secure their vehicles and store valuables out of sight in their car.

Following a rash of burglaries of unlocked vehicles in the city, the Oak Forest Police Department is starting a new campaign to help remind residents to "Lock it or Lose it."

Kicking off Monday, April 1, and running through the rest of the year, the campaign will see officers patrolling city parking lots and neighborhoods, inspecting cars to make sure residents aren't leaving valuables in plain view and that vehicles are locked. If an officer finds a vehicle that might be enticing to a burglar, he or she will leave a notice under a windshield wiper, reminding the owner to be more careful.

“A vehicle with an unlocked door or an open window is an easy target,” said Eric Wynn, a police investigator who serves as the department’s crime prevention officer, in a press release. “It takes less than 30 seconds for a thief to steal a phone, laptop, tablet, or wallet from a car. We want to remind drivers to remove their valuables or at least keep them out of sight.”

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Officers will also leave inspection cards on vehicles that are locked and do not have valuables in plain sight, congratulating that driver on properly securing his or her vehicle.

The campaign also will be promoted on the city's Facebook page, Twitter account, e-newsletter, cable channel and website, according to the release.

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“Our primary objective is to create awareness,” Wynn said. “This type of crime can be easily prevented if we all take 20 seconds to secure our vehicles.”

 

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