Willoughby Hills residents have raised concerns regarding recent crime that has taken place in one of the city’s housing developments.
Last month, according to Willoughby Hills Police Chief Matthew Naegele, the Willoughby Hills Police Department responded to Deerhaven Estates, a housing development on the east end of the city that includes Loreto Drive and Florence Drive.
The response was for reports of cars that were entered into by unknown suspects.
Naegele said that the development could be characterized as a low-crime, residential area where break-ins rarely, if ever, occur.
“These thefts excepted, crime rates in our residential neighborhoods are otherwise very low in comparison to some other communities,” Naegele said. “I attribute that in part to our proactive style of policing in Willoughby Hills.”
There was no forced entry at the development, which indicates all the vehicles were left unlocked by the owners, Naegele said. There was one vehicle stolen, a 2019 Nissan Rogue.
A home invasion, which was among the concerns raised at the development, is inaccurate, Naegele said.
“There were concerns by one of the involved that person(s) ‘may have’ entered their home,” he said. “However, there was no forced entry, nothing out of place, nothing missing and no additional information to indicate a burglary occurred.”
Naegele expressed that neither he nor the department take any sort of crime or victimization lightly, however, it is not uncommon for vehicles to be targeted for theft as a crime of opportunity, he said.
“Generally, theft from parked cars is one of the most common complaints received by police in residential neighborhoods,” Naegele said. “Because suburban residential areas are relatively safe and quiet, residents can become complacent about car security. They may leave their car doors unlocked, keys in the ignition or key fobs in a center console.”
A neighborhood late at night that’s filled with unlocked cars, with plenty of cover, is an inviting scene for a thief, Naegele said.
“Unfortunately, every community in the area has dealt with this same issue,” he said.
The department has gone to great lengths over the years to educate residents and business owners on protecting themselves from crime.
“We can’t be everywhere all the time,” Naegele said.
While there are many things vehicle owners can do, the most important is to lock the vehicle’s doors regardless of where the vehicle is parked, Naegele said.
“Rarely does this department respond to theft from vehicles where the vehicle was locked at the time of the offense,” he said. “Generally, offenders look for the ‘quick and easy fix.’ They check doors and if unlocked, will quickly rummage through in order to find valuables.”
Key fobs being left in a vehicle makes it that much easier to steal it, Naegele said.
Naegele said some tips that the department touches on are the following:
• Lock the doors and windows.
• Hide valuables. Don’t leave them in plain sight or remove them from the car.
• Park in well-lit areas.
• Remove unnecessary personal information from the car.
• Install an alarm.
“We will continue, as always, to do our part in educating our residents on crime prevention,” he said, noting the department has certified crime prevention officers, also known as Certified Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design.
CPTED officers go through rigorous training through the Ohio Crime Prevention Association, Naegele said.
“The training they do gives them the ability to do analysis for homeowners and business owners with security tips and measures they can do to increase security of their homes and businesses,” he said. “We provide that as a free service.”
Additionally, the department also meets with homeowners associations at their request for educational opportunities throughout the year.
“Generally, every fall, we’ll do an event at our Community Center and I’d like to get people there for it,” Naegele said.
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