BMV Prevention

Naperville Police Department Burglary to Motor Vehicle Prevention Tips

The best defense against crime is prevention, which makes YOU our number one crime deterrent!!

As you may or may not know, many schools, parks, day cares and other businesses have been recent targets of burglaries to motor vehicles. You can avoid being targeted by these organized burglary/bank fraud crews, often referred to as the “Felony Lane Gang,” by doing the following:

  • Never leave your purse or wallet in your car. (Covering it up or placing it under the seat won’t help – your window will be smashed)
  • Leave your checkbook at home if possible, and don’t be in the habit of storing it in your purse. (Offenders target checkbooks to commit thousands of dollars of forgeries and bank fraud on your accounts)
  • If you find yourself the victim of this type of crime call 911. Contact your bank and request a fraud alert be set up.  Request immediate notification of any account activity such as check deposits/cashing.
  • Request the bank hold all original documents/ID’s recovered at the bank for law enforcement.

Why does this happen and what is “The Felony Lane Gang”?  The term, "Felony Lane Gang," is commonly associated with offenders engaged in the practice of committing car burglaries targeting check books for the purpose of later forging/fraudulently cashing stolen checks at victims` respective banks and financial institutions.  When using this method, members of the Felony Lane Gang usually target health clubs, sporting facilities, parks, daycares, private school drop-off lanes, and/or any location where women tend to leave purses locked inside parked vehicles.  Following the burglaries, the offenders usually employ female check cashers for the check fraud portion of the offense.  When committing this type of check fraud, the offenders will often opt for the bank`s farthest drive-through lane, or the lane the greatest distance away from the eyes of bank employees.  The unofficial slang-term given to this far lane of the bank drive-through is, "the felony lane."  This method of car burglary and check fraud has been known to net offenders tens of thousands of dollars per day, and historically, has most often been practiced by crews originating out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The Naperville Police Department requests citizens to call 911 to report all suspicious subjects, vehicles and incidents. 

For more safety tips or questions regarding crime prevention, contact the Naperville Police Department  or speak with a Crime Prevention Specialist at (630) ­420-6731.