Burr Ridge Car Thefts Have 2 Things In Common

BURR RIDGE, IL – Burr Ridge's 11 car thefts last year had two things in common – all the cars were unlocked and had the keys inside, police said.

That's right – every one of them.

Other suburban police departments have seen a similar trend.

Burr Ridge's 11 car thefts in 2022 were up from four in 2021, which was low compared to the years before that.

During a presentation before the Village Board, Deputy Police Chief Marc Loftus said last week the police have warned residents "over and over and over" about locking their cars and not leaving their keys inside.

That message, he said, may have had an impact in 2021. But he said the department tries to avoid "message fatigue."

Mayor Gary Grasso noted the trend.

"The community has to help itself. And if it helps itself, we won't have vehicle thefts," the mayor said. "Let's highlight that."

On a positive note, Loftus said, license plate recognition cameras in Burr Ridge and elsewhere have reduced the time of recovery of stolen cars.

"We're getting them back in sometimes hours, instead of days and weeks like we have in the past," he said.

Here are statistics from the Burr Ridge Police Department: