MOUNT GREENWOOD — Mount Greenwood was at the bottom of the list for auto thefts among all Chicago neighborhoods in 2016, according to a recent study.
The study by Illinois Vehicle Auto Insurance also found that number of auto thefts in Beverly jumped by 96 percent last year, as 47 vehicles were stolen compared to just 24 in 2015.
Other neighborhoods with significant increases were Ashburn, which jumped 139 percent with 277 vehicles stolen last year compared to just 116 in 2015. O'Hare saw an 111 percent increase with 97 vehicles stolen last year compared to 46 in 2015.
On the other end of the spectrum, the insurance company based in suburban Downers Grove found only nine vehicles were stolen in Mount Greenwood last year. Other neighborhoods with low numbers include Edison Park (12), Hegewisch (16), Burnside (19) and Forest Glen (29).
The neighborhoods with the most cases of auto theft include: Austin (801), West Town (423), Humboldt Park (408), North Lawndale (350) and the Near West Side (331), the study found.
Researchers also looked at where vehicles were stolen. The findings mirror a warning from Chicago police in the Morgan Park District late last year, which advised area residents against warming up their vehicles in the winter months by leaving them running.
The warning included evidence of thieves swiping vehicles in greater numbers in the colder months, presumably stealing vehicles that are left running and unattended. Meanwhile, the study found that 95 percent of the auto thefts in Chicago last year were of vehicles that were unattended.
Of those stolen vehicles, 73 percent were parked on the street in Chicago. Auto thefts also occurred in driveways, parking garages and gas stations, but in far fewer numbers, according to the study.
Overall, there was a 13 percent increase in auto thefts last year compared to 2015. But compared to 2007, the number has decreased by 39 percent, researchers found.
The authors of the study pointed to improvements in vehicle anti-theft technologies, such as ignitions that require activation by smart keys and alarm systems capable of disabling a vehicle, for the drop.
