(The Center Square) – Warm weather means good times and cookouts. It also means a rise in crime.
Auburn Police Department Chief Dave Campbell said the most common calls they get in summer are domestic violence calls and theft reports.
“A lot of it has to do with alcohol,” Campbell told The Center Square.
In the summer, people are out more. They go to bars. There are more fairs and festivals and things to do that involve drinking. More drinking leads to more domestic violence, he said.
As for theft, “nothing good happens after midnight,” Campbell said.
“The schools are out. Kids do silly things. Adults do silly things. And drug users are out looking for stuff to steal so that they can get drug money,” Campbell said.
Police remind folks to lock their cars, but too many times, people forget. Kids are looking for change. They are looking for purses and laptops and all the stuff sitting on the seats that they can break in and take.
“Lock your cars. Make it harder for the thieves. They’ll go on to the next car until they find one that they can get in,” Campbell said.
The theft of catalytic converters remains a big issue for law enforcement, Campbell said. Thieves come from as far away as St. Louis to steal catalytic converters in Central Illinois.
“Catalytic converters bring a lot of money. It only takes a minute or two to saw them off,” Campbell said.
If people don’t have a garage, Campbell recommends getting a security camera to keep an eye on your car. Thieves don’t realize how many people are using security cameras now, Campbell said.
“We actually solve a lot of crimes with people’s doorbell cams or household cams,” he said.
Summer is prime time to keep an eye out for people who are acting strangely, Campbell said. If there is somebody walking down a dark street wearing gloves and carrying a tool, that’s suspicious, he said. Call the police or report them to the Crime Stoppers tip line: 1-800-222-TIPS.
