Giannoulias gets personal in handing out grants to fight vehicle thefts, carjackings

CHICAGO — For Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, the grants handed out by his office to combat carjacking and vehicle thefts is a bit of a personal matter.

He’s been a victim.

“When I was in high school, I got carjacked on the West Side of Chicago and it is a horrible experience that has stayed with me,” Giannoulias said, adding that the daily headlines are a reminder that the unsettling crime has continued for decades. “It’s horrible and unacceptable that so many of us have become victims of these crimes. No one should have to live in fear of having their car stolen at gunpoint or returning to their vehicle only to find it gone.”

A review of the 10-year trend in carjackings shows that last year the numbers fell from pandemic highs but are still much higher than they were in 2013. In 2022, the most recent vehicle theft data, there were 38,649 thefts statewide, an increase of more than 10,000 cases compared to the year prior. More than 22,000 of the thefts occurred in Chicago that year, where thefts doubled compared to 2021.

To fight the surge, Giannoulias’ office on Wednesday issued $11 million in new grants to six police agencies around Illinois to pay for additional detectives and equipment such as vehicles, tracking devices, GPS software and license-plate readers.

The Chicago Police Department was awarded more than $1.4 million. The Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force that serves Will, Kankakee, and Grundy counties was awarded more than $2.2 million, and a statewide task force received nearly $3.4 million.

“These resources, which include a mobile tech center help modernize the technology available to us, we’re able to gather and process digital evidence more efficiently so we can identify offenders and vehicles more quickly,” Deputy Chief of Detectives Kevin Bruno said.

The funding comes, in part, from a $1 assessment on all auto insurance policies in the state. The six law enforcement agencies will be able begin using the money on July 1.

“To prevent crime, you have to have resources,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly. “This grant will allow the Illinois State police to focus additional resources on prevention and investigative follow up.”

In Chicago, carjackings are down more than 16 percent this year, and Giannoiulias said the funding handed out by the state since 2019 is one of the key reasons.

The Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Council , an 11-member coalition of representatives from the insurance industry, state’s attorneys and law enforcement officers created in 1991, has issued more than $30 million in grants to law enforcement agencies and helped police recover nearly $100 million worth of stolen vehicles.

Giannoulias’ office last year awarded $21 million in grants .

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