Thieves smash windows of up to 20 cars in South Commons
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Thieves hit as many as 20 cars along one South Commons corner this holiday weekend, prompting residents to speak out.
The residents said this was not the first time, as they told CBS 2's Sara Machi about the escalating problem.
Residents told us such break-ins have been happening for months - but the numbers are increasing. Some cars remained at the scene Monday afternoon with broken windows.
The neighbors said something has to be done, so we took the concerns to the Ald. Lamont Robinson (4th) - who outlined his plan with police and with business owners.
Video taken by a resident showed at least 10 car windows busted out on one block. But those 10 might only be half of it.
Residents told us they counted as many as 20 cars damaged near 21st Street and Prairie Avenue Sunday morning – with windows smashed out and thieves combing through the interiors. Plastic temporary patches have been left on the damage on some of the cars.
It's part of an escalating trend - one that Victoria Jones knows firsthand.
"I saw some glass when I was coming down the street here and I was like, man, somebody was mad, because they went on a rampage," Jones said, "and I get around the corner, walked up to my car, there's glass outside - and I was like, holy cow – they got me too."
Jones said thieves broke her window two weeks ago and tried to start the car with a screwdriver but failed - something that cost her $175 to fix.
Now, she has a solution.
"More cameras, more patrols," Jones said.
And she's not far off.
"We know that we have an issue, and we have to be able to tackle that," said Ald. Robinson.
Robinson said he is working with police to increase cars in the area and with business owners for better surveillance.
"A lot of times, the cameras are not working - and a lot of the property managers are don't know that they can tie those cameras into OEMC," the alderman said, "and so part of my responsibility is to meet with property managers and share that information with them."
He says linking private security cameras to the Office of Emergency Management and Communications would allow police to pull video as soon as someone calls 911 about break-ins.
The hope is for better security results in the form of fewer windows pulled from cars, and fewer repair bills for people like Jones.
"You'd rather be watched then unsafe, you know?" Jones said.
Police left information on cars that had been hit, telling owners how to report any damages. But clearly, some people still several hours later still had not been out to see their cars had been affected.
Robinson said that after a couple days, the damaged cars will be towed. Some people could thus be returning from a long holiday weekend – only to find their car not only damaged, but gone.