In the spring, a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of … car burglaries.

OK, that’s not exactly the Tennyson quote, but you get the idea.

A rash of burglaries on Aurora’s far East Side serves as a reminder that spring often brings out car burglaries. Aurora police say the vehicle burglaries “illustrate the importance of locking up cars and trucks and stowing anything of value out of sight.”

On Aurora’s East Side, 10 unlocked vehicles parked in residents’ driveways were hit in the overnight hours of May 16 leading into May 17. According to the city of Aurora press release, electronics, sports equipment and other items worth a total of about $1,700, were taken from six of the vehicles. The crimes occurred in the 2000 and 2200 blocks of James Leigh Dr.; the 1700 block of Brookfield Ct.; the 2000 and 2100 blocks of Whitetail Dr.; the 2500 blocks of Smithfield Ln. and Biltmore Cr.; the 2700 blocks of Stuart Kaplan Dr. and Imperial Valley Dr.; the 2100 block of Grayhawk Dr.; and the 2400 block of Green Valley Ct.

The Kane County Sheriff’s Office and police departments throughout Kane County issue reminders this time of year.

“Please lock your car doors and conceal valuables due to recent burglaries from unlocked vehicles in the Tri-Cities,” the Geneva Police Department says.

“The majority of these incidents are crimes of opportunity,” said Eric Passarelli of the Geneva Police Department. “It only takes a minute to enter an unlocked car and to remove valuables from inside. Please assist us by securing your vehicles.”

Also common as the weather gets nicer are the “smash and grab” vehicle burglaries. In those cases — which happen often at community events, swimming pools, health clubs, shopping malls or any place a lot of cars are parked — burglars smash the windows of vehicles, grab items of value that are in plain sight, and hightail it. GPS devices, cell phones, tablets and laptops, purses and shopping bags are among the items often stolen.

So the rules of thumb to prevent vehicle burglaries are:

(1) Always lock your vehicle.

(2) Don’t leave valuables in your vehicle.

(3) If you must leave valuables in your vehicle, make sure they are not in plain sight. Put them in the trunk or stow them under a car seat, where they won’t spark a young criminal’s fancy.

Anyone who sees suspicious persons or activities occurring in their neighborhoods should call 911. If you’re reporting a car burglary that’s not in progress, the best practice is to call your local law-enforcement agency’s non-emergency number.

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TO THE KANE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

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