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Cars Left Warming Up Outside Causing Spike In Auto Thefts, Police Say

By Alex Nitkin | January 31, 2017 5:20am
 Jefferson Park District Cmdr. Bill Looney tells a meeting of the West Portage Park Neighbors Association about a spike in auto thefts.
Jefferson Park District Cmdr. Bill Looney tells a meeting of the West Portage Park Neighbors Association about a spike in auto thefts.
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DNAinfo/Alex Nitkin

CHICAGO — An pattern of careless motorists leaving their cars unattended with the engine running has led to a sharp uptick in auto thefts this month, Jefferson Park District Cmdr. Bill Looney said Monday.

Police counted 52 motor vehicle thefts in the district, which stretches from the Six Corners Shopping District out to O'Hare Airport, between Jan. 1 and Jan. 29, Looney said. That's compared to 38 thefts in January 2016, he said.

Of all the incidents reported this month, nearly half targeted cars that were left to warm up with the engine running, Looney told a meeting of the West Portage Park Neighbors Association Monday evening.

The bulk of the thefts to "some kids who probably wouldn't be doing it, if it weren't so easy," Looney said. "They're going through the neighborhood, 7 or 8 o'clock in the morning, they see a car running, and they try the handle."

Police in January have arrested seven people suspected of stealing cars in the district, Looney said.

Officers will often write up tickets for drivers who leave their cars running with no one inside, Looney said, especially for cars registered to out-of-town addresses. For city residents who do it, officers are more likely to visit their homes and "leave them with a warning," he said.

"There's just no reason to be making it so easy" for thieves, Looney said. "I can understand if you want to get your car warm in the morning, but it's just not worth the risk."