SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced more than $11 million in grants to law enforcement agencies across the state to address rising carjackings and vehicle thefts. The announcement was made on Wednesday at the St. Clair County Sheriff’s office in Metro East.
The Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Council, overseen by Giannoulias’ office, distributed $11.95 million to six agencies for the fiscal year 2025. The funding, sourced from the insurance industry through a $1 fee per insured passenger vehicle, supports personnel salaries, technology, vehicle tracking devices, body cameras, drones, and other tools to combat auto crimes.
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“A car is a lifeline for many Illinoisans. It gets them to work, helps them take care of their families and connects them with loved ones. When it’s stolen, it can turn a family’s life upside down,” Giannoulias said. “By strengthening coordination across agencies and equipping law enforcement with the right tools and technology, we’re putting law enforcement in a better position to combat the rise in carjackings and vehicle theft while keeping our communities safe.”
The grants were awarded to the Illinois Statewide Auto Theft Task Force (ISATT), the Chicago Major Auto Thefts Investigations Unit (CMATI), the Expressway Safety Enforcement Group (ESEG) of the Illinois State Police, and task forces in Joliet, St. Clair County, and Peoria. Funding amounts ranged from $637,500 for ESEG to $3.84 million for ISATT.
Data indicates the grants are yielding results. In Chicago, carjackings have dropped from 1,852 incidents in 2021 to 379 so far this year. ISATT conducted over 1,550 investigations last fiscal year, recovering 1,100 vehicles valued at more than $31 million. The task force also assisted with 250 additional vehicle recoveries and filed 535 auto theft-related criminal charges, 400 of which were felonies.
CMATI carried out 925 investigations resulting in more than 400 arrests and recovered 1,000 vehicles worth about $20 million. ESEG utilized its air operations or provided assistance more than 275 times.
The grants also enable agencies to expand access to dedicated vehicle theft investigators and prosecutors, as well as auditors to verify that scrap processors and body shops are not handling stolen parts. The funding supports collaborative efforts with federal and local units to investigate title fraud and fraudulent vehicle identification numbers before vehicles are resold.
According to the council, the return on investment for stolen vehicle recovery is $5.50 for every $1 spent on grant funding, with over $65 million worth of stolen vehicles recovered in the current fiscal year.
Joining Giannoulias at the announcement were State Sens. Chris Belt and Erica Harriss, State Reps. Jay Hoffman, Kevin Schmidt and Katie Stuart, and Belleville Mayor Jenny Gain Meyer.
