Car Thefts Down In Burr Ridge: Cops

BURR RIDGE, IL – The number of vehicle thefts in Burr Ridge dropped in 2021 from previous years, with police describing them as preventable in many cases.

Four car thefts were reported in 2021 in Burr Ridge, down from 11 the previous year, according to the police department. In the four years before that, annual car thefts ranged from nine to 13.

During a presentation this week to the Village Board, Deputy Police Chief Marc Loftus said the cars stolen over the last couple of years have been unlocked with the key fobs inside.

He said some criticize the police for overemphasizing the importance of locking cars, but he said the word needed to get out.

One of the factors helping prevent car thefts is the license plate readers that the police department placed in subdivisions with the cooperation of homeowners associations, according to the village.

"The offenders will steal a car somewhere, it gets reported as stolen, it hits on a license plate reader in town," Loftus told the Village Board. "When that happens, we can get to the area quick enough, hopefully, to thwart the continued thefts."

He said Burr Ridge officers have worked well with those in Hinsdale, Willowbrook, Darien and other neighboring towns in tracking car thieves.

"The statistic is not zero, which we would love it to be," Loftus said. "But it is low for the increase that we're seeing in the Chicagoland area, from the border of Wisconsin to the south suburbs.