North Liberty police: Recent uptick in car burglaries ascribed to traveling criminals

An recent uptick in car burglaries in North Liberty and the surrounding area likely is the result of criminals who strike as they travel across the country, police say.

“These are crimes of opportunity in which the criminals conduct surveillance in a parking lot, typically a fitness center or school drop-off point. Once the criminals locate vehicles with purses, bags, or other high-value items in plain view, they will break the windows, steal the items, and flee the area within seconds,” a news release from North Liberty police states.

Police said, based on past investigations, the people committing these thefts often are part of a larger network of thieves who travel across the country committing the same kinds of thefts wherever they are.

“The vehicles they use are rentals from out of state, and they also use stolen license plates from other vehicles during their thefts and travels,” North Liberty Police Chief Diane Venenga said. “They usually saturate an area for a short time and then move on.”

Venenga said this has been a common problem for several years, with the thefts usually increasing when the weather is warm. It’s common for thefts to be reported close to the same time in multiple nearby cities.

Despite the recent surge, there have been fewer thefts reported in North Liberty so far this year than last year. So far, North Liberty has had seven reports of cars broken into where a bag, purse or wallet was stolen. There have also been two stolen license plates reported. In 2022, there were 14 reported thefts from vehicles in North Liberty.

The thieves usually are not caught during the initial crime because the thefts can happen so quickly, according to Venenga. The police department has arrested out-of-state individuals, who police believe are part of this theft ring, trying to cash fraudulent checks from stolen checkbooks.

“Please do not leave valuables in your vehicle, if possible. If you cannot take your valuables with you, make sure to store them out of view before you get to your destination,” the department’s news release states.

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