Machesney Park deputy chief warns residents of juvenile car burglaries; urges locking vehicles

MACHESNEY PARK, Ill. — Deputy Chief Josh, public safety supervisor for the Village of Machesney Park, told trustees on Jan. 6 that the department has identified juveniles in a recent string of vehicle burglaries and urged residents to lock their cars.

"We've had some car burglaries in Machesney," Deputy Chief Josh said. "Just please let everyone know to make sure they lock their doors. These juveniles, and we know they're juveniles because we've ID'd a few of them. We just can't finish to them as of yet, but we will be able."

Josh described the method the suspects have used: "They're just checking door handles, and then they vanish in the night. So they're not breaking windows. All they're doing is checking door handles. So if you lock your car doors, more than likely they're not gonna break a window to get in there. They're just grabbing change and whatever else." He added, "Maybe they didn't get good presents for Christmas or something. They want something else out of the vehicle."

The warning was delivered during the village's routine administrative reports. The deputy chief said the department is assigning units on weekends to deter and locate suspects. There were no formal motions or votes tied to the public safety update recorded in the transcript.

Why it matters: the department's comment is a direct public-safety advisory to Machesney Park residents and instructs a specific, simple precaution — lock vehicle doors — to reduce the risk of opportunistic theft.

The meeting continued with committee reports and routine agenda items.