The Geneva Police Department is urging residents to lock their car doors after several car burglaries and a vehicle theft took place on the City’s west side.

During the overnight hours Oct. 28-29, valuables were taken from several unlocked cars in the 700 block of Illinois Street, and an unlocked vehicle with the keys left inside was stolen in the 700 block of North Street.

Geneva Police regularly provide communication alerting residents about the dangers of leaving car doors unlocked. The department wants to continue to highlight several important safety tips to help curtail this type of crime.

People are encouraged to report all suspicious activity to the Geneva Police Department immediately. The information provided may be the key to solving a crime in their neighborhood.

In an effort to make property less of a target, people should lock their vehicles and remove valuables (computers, phones, electronics, purses, keys, garage door openers, etc.) from the car at night. Residents should make sure their garage door is closed, windows are secured and access doors to the garage and home are locked.

Outdoor lighting may act as a deterrent in some cases since many of these car burglaries occur under the cover of darkness.

The majority of car burglaries are crimes of opportunity and are preventable. The Police Department would like to thank the community for working together to keep Geneva a safe place to live.