Chicago police, Cook County sheriff partner up to help owners protect vehicles from theft

The Cook County Sheriff’s Department’s Leo Schmitz with reflective stickers that aim to deter thieves from stealing vehicles. (Pat Nabong/Sun-Times)

As vehicle thefts increase in Chicago and surrounding suburbs police officials are teaming up to help owners keep their property safe.

At a press conference Tuesday, the Chicago Police Department announced that as gun violence fell, vehicle thefts, robberies and catalytic converter thefts have spiked across the city.

Through data analysis of the vehicle thefts, police have determined that Kia and Hyundai vehicles are among the most frequently stolen and are being used to commit violent crimes, said Brian McDermott, Chicago police chief of operations.

Police districts across the city are working to help distribute locking devices that will help residents protect their vehicles from theft, McDermott said.

Chicago police officers are distributing steering wheel locks to protect cars from theft. The police department and Cook County Sheriff’s Department are working with manufacturers to register cars with the Tracked Vehicle Program. Registered vehicles’ locations can be tracked in the event that they are stolen. (Pat Nabong/Sun-Times)

“It’s easy to steal them, and people who steal them know how to do it,” Cook County Sheriff’s Department Chief Leo Schmitz said.

In an effort to help recover stolen vehicles, the Sheriff’s Department and Chicago police are working with vehicle manufacturers to register cars with the Tracked Vehicle Program.

Anyone registered with the program can give the sheriffs consent to track and recover their stolen vehicle. All registered vehicles will have two identifiable stickers that warn would-be thieves they can be tracked.

“If people know a car can be tracked, they know they can be caught,” Schmitz said.