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Today’s number: 4 percent

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Chicago Police Department crime statistics show a sharp rise in car thefts — from just under 9,000 in 2019 to more than 21,000 last year. That’s a 139% spike in just three years. And 2023’s numbers are on track to be even higher.

Ernesto Lopez is a research specialist for the Council on Criminal Justice, a national organization that studies crime trends.

“It looks like these are mostly Kia and Hyundai related … select makes and models are vulnerable to thefts,” Lopez said. […]

But other makes and models are vulnerable too, and crime statistics show every corner of the city is seeing thefts. […]

And according to CPD statistics, most thieves get away with the initial crime. Last year, the clearance rate for solving motor vehicle thefts was a paltry 4%.

Sources close to CPD say the department de-emphasizes solving these types of crimes to devote more resources to more serious crimes.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 1:49 pm

Comments

I assume this is related to the software issue the AG is suing Kia and Hyundai over?

Comment by Perrid Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 1:59 pm
Sources close to CPD say the department de-emphasizes solving these types of crimes…so…steal away is the message?

Comment by Dotnonymous x Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 2:00 pm
- the department de-emphasizes solving these types of crimes to devote more resources to more serious crimes. -

Those more serious crimes also have abysmal clearance rates. CPD is either lazy, ineffective, or both. It’s time for new strategies.

Comment by Excitable Boy Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 2:17 pm
=== Sources close to CPD say the department de-emphasizes solving these types of crimes to devote more resources to more serious crimes ===

We know this is false. Murder and rape clearances are also terrible, while racially disproportionate car stops and gun searches are way up. They’re spending their time and resources harassing black motorists.

Paris really shouldn’t have run a false anonymous quote.

Comment by vern Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 2:47 pm
“…department de-emphasizes solving these types of crimes to devote more resources to more serious crimes.”

So… has there been any correlation between “more serious crimes” and stolen cars that may have been used for those “more serious crimes”???

I’m sure not all the stolen cars were just for joyrides or chop shops. And for the person whose car WAS stolen, I’m sure they consider it a serious crime. Especially if it affects their ability to care for themselves or family members.

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 2:48 pm
Grr. If they were joyrides, the cars would be found when the ride ends. That’s nonsense. (Not you, Anon221- I’m referring to the narrative that these thefts are attributable to kids having “fun.”)

Comment by Soccermom Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 3:08 pm
90% of this article is useless fluff. Tell me more about the Chicago / Illinois specific information. Local reporters scare mongering about a nationwide trend is never useful. They just end up amplifying bad faith actors who have no useful input to add (see what happened in places where national crime trends were used to attack progressive prosecutors when there was zero evidence that the actions of the prosecutors had any impact on the national crime trend).

Tell me more about how Chicago is different from the national trend (for example, is that clearance rate worse than average? If so, by how much? What are the causes?). The only mention in the article of CPD activity is a single sentence that references unnamed sources.

Without any context, these sorts of media reports are useless for actually informing anyone of anything.

Comment by Homebody Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 3:14 pm
- for example, is that clearance rate worse than average? If so, by how much? -

It’s 4%. I don’t care if the rest of the country is 3%, it’s still absurdly awful.

Comment by Excitable Boy Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 3:31 pm
It’s the carjackings and the robberies that are the worst.
They’re using the stolen cars to carjack and rob people all over the north side.
And the cops just sit and watch them. From what I’m reading, they’re not allowed to pursue the criminals.

Comment by TinyDancer(FKASue) Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 3:49 pm
Generally these cars will be abandoned and eventually recovered. In “the old days” you’d spot a car with a broken rear window speeding through town and try to stop it. The car would usually flee and a pursuit was on. Too many bystanders, cops and car thieves were injured as a result of pursuits. Lawsuits were filed and departments paid out a lot of money. Now we don’t pursue unless it’s for a forcible felony. The car thieves know we can’t pursue. On the occasions a stolen car is recovered with people in it, the SA’s office is more likely to charge the misdemeanor criminal trespass to vehicle charge than the felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle. Hard to prove the people in the car actually committed the theft of the car.

Comment by In the game Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 4:19 pm
4 percent clearance on auto theft. 40 percent clearance rate on murders. Good grief. Chicago needs and deserves better policing. This is pure ineffectiveness.

Comment by Stormsw7706 Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 5:04 pm
- 40 percent clearance rate on murders -

That number is a falsehood, they include murder cases they close after years with no arrests. The actual rate of murders that are solved is much lower.

Comment by Excitable Boy Tuesday, Aug 22, 23 @ 7:35 pm