Christmas certainly has its cast of villains, from Ebenezer Scrooge tormenting Bob Cratchit to Scut Farkas beating Ralphie up on his way home from school.
Many of them are thieves.
There’s the Grinch, clearing out presents from under the tree, emptying fridges and stuffing trees up the chimney.
And the Burgermeister Meisterburger from “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” confiscating gifts from children and imprisoning families who allow Kris Kringle to visit.
We can’t forget Harry and Marv, the pair of burglars in “Home Alone,” who take the valuables — and then turn the faucet on to flood a home after they’ve burglarized it.
Hinsdale has had its fair share of thieves visiting the village in the months leading up to Christmas.
Police issued a special alert last week after someone pried open the front door of a home on North York Road and stole jewelry. In what police believe is a related incident, a suspicious vehicle pulled into the driveway of a home on East Walnut Street.
In early November, a Page 5 article detailed three home burglaries, one of which involved the theft of watches and jewelry, and an attempted burglary.
Criminals also are targeting vehicles and local businesses. October incidents included the theft of a Bentley from a driveway in the 200 block of East Eighth Street and of several pieces of high-end merchandise from Marcus in downtown Hinsdale.
We wish this season would inspire everyone to live in peace, with goodwill toward man. Since that wish is likely to go unfilled, we share the following safety tips, compiled from earlier interviews with Hinsdale police.
• If you have a doorbell camera and/or security cameras, make sure they are turned on when you leave home.
• Leave lights on when you are not home to give the impression the house is occupied.
• Do not leave unlocked vehicles parked outside, especially if there is a key fob or garage door opener inside. The first makes it easy for a thief to steal the car, the second provides an easy access to the house.
• Lock the interior door between the garage and the house. If a thief does obtain a garage door opener, at least he won’t be able to walk right in the home.
• If you will be away over the holidays, call the Hinsdale Police Department at (630) 789-7070 to arrange for a vacation watch. Make arrangements with a trusted neighbor to keep an eye on the property and pick up your packages. Schedule a hold on your mail by filling out a form online (https://www.usps.com/manage/hold-mail.htm) or at the Hinsdale Post Office, 109 Symonds Drive, or by calling (800) 275-8777.
• Finally, call 9-1-1 if you observe a suspicious vehicle or person.
Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. Let’s do all we can to keep the bad bananas with greasy black peels from spoiling it.
