In Naperville, we are fortunate to live in one of the safest communities of its size in the United States, but we do not live in a crime-free community.
In recognition of National Crime Prevention Month, our Safer Naper topic for October emphasizes ways you can stay informed about the types of crime occurring in Naperville and the strategies you can utilize to prevent becoming a victim.
Crime tactics and methods are always evolving, but a crucial way of preventing crime involves “removing the opportunity.” In our community that means remembering to lock your vehicle (even if parked in the garage), closing your garage door, and making sure your home is secure by locking doors and windows.
In the first six months of 2024, 75% of burglaries to motor vehicles and 62% of residential burglaries were no-force, meaning they were to unlocked cars and residences. Using locks takes away the “opportunity.” In addition, criminals are targeting garage door openers within vehicles. Removing or not displaying the opener, in addition to locking the doors, can further help prevent these crimes.
Additional ways of removing opportunities are to be aware of the current scams and frauds. Between January and July this year, 82 scam or fraud reports were reported to the Naperville Police Department for a loss of $4,548,968.
The most common scams have been tech support, Facebook Marketplace, fake warrants, phishing and investment scams. Investment scams resulted in the largest dollar losses. Remember, do not give out personal or financial information to people you do not know. In addition, keep in mind that bill collectors and government agencies will never demand payment via cryptocurrency or gift cards.
Other crime prevention strategies include situational awareness, utilizing the 9PM Routine, and recognizing the red flags and common denominators of frauds and scams. Trusting your instincts and reporting suspicious people and incidences are also useful in preventing crime.
Learn more ways to safeguard your family, home and community by visiting naperville.il.us/asafernaper.
Until next month… Stay Aware and Stay Safe.
