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Statistics
Motor Vehicle Theft in the Metro East Area
According to the Illinois State Police, the number of motor vehicle thefts reported in the area covered by
the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force decreased 8 percent between 1992 and 2007, from 2,077 thefts to
1,902 thefts. Motor vehicle thefts decreased 54 percent statewide during the same period. Between 2000
and 2007, motor vehicle thefts in the Metro East area decreased 4 percent, from 1,990 to 1,902. The 1,902
motor vehicle thefts reported in the Metro East area in 2007 accounted for almost 6 percent of the 34,280
auto thefts reported across Illinois.
Between 1992 and 2007, the Metro East area’s population increased 3 percent. The motor vehicle theft
rate in the region decreased 11 percent during this time frame, while the statewide motor vehicle theft
rate decreased 58 percent, from 631 to 267 offenses per 100,000 population. In 2007, there were 360
motor vehicle theft offenses per 100,000 population in the Metro East area, compared to a statewide rate
of 267 offenses per 100,000 population. Between 2000 and 2007, the motor vehicle theft rate decreased 7
percent, from 386 to 360. Figure 1 shows the motor vehicle theft rate in Illinois and the Metro East area
during this period.
Data reports from the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force describe several vehicle theft problems in the
area. The main focus of task force officers is the identification and arrest of street gang members that
operate in the area. Task force officers believe that most gang members steal cars for transportation or
to facilitate other crimes such as drive-by shootings and transportation of drugs or firearms. The task
force also encounters cases of insurance fraud, chop shops, re-tagging operations, and false vehicle
theft reporting.
The task force has also established partnerships with law enforcement agencies in St. Louis, Missouri
and the surrounding metropolitan area. This coordination and joint effort helps all of the participating
agencies target street gangs that continually cross between Illinois and Missouri.
During 2001, eight Metro Link Train Stations were built in the Metro East area. The existence of these
stations has created more challenges for the task force. These stations have increased opportunities for
gang members to travel between various areas and cities. The trains provide these individuals with an
easy method of access into areas in the Metro East area. The task force reported an increase in local
gangs crossing state boundaries to commit vehicle theft.
Program Summary
The Metro East Auto Theft Task Force combats auto theft in Madison and St. Clair counties by combining
the expertise and resources of multiple law enforcement agencies. Operating since 1992, the task force
links the efforts of the Illinois State Police, the sheriff’s offices of Madison and St. Clair counties, the
Illinois Secretary of State Police, and the police departments of Belleville, Cahokia, Collinsville, East St.
Louis, Fairview Heights, and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. The task force’s multi-
jurisdictional, cooperative approach maximizes its ability to investigate and prosecute auto theft
throughout the area. The services of the task force are available to all law enforcement agencies within
Madison and St. Clair counties.
The Metro East Auto Theft Task Force has a total of sixteen personnel. The task force consists of ten full-
time police officers, a part-time East St. Louis officer, two assistant state’s attorneys, a grant
administrator, a fiscal officer, and an administrative assistant. The task force operates out of the
Belleville Police Department.
Program Activity
Between September 1992 and December 2008, the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force has conducted 9,113
self-initiated and assisted investigations, resulting in 3,749 arrests and 1,329 convictions. Between
January 2000 and December 2008, the task force conducted 5,080 investigations, resulting in 2,360
arrests and 803 convictions. In 2008, the task force conducted 440 investigations (317 initiated and 123
assisted investigations), resulting in 200 arrests and 54 convictions. Figure 2 shows the number of motor
vehicle theft investigations, arrests, and convictions for each program year.
From August 1992 thru December 2008, the task force has recovered 5,410 vehicles worth an estimated
$41 million. Between January 2000 and December 2008, 3,251 vehicles were recovered worth more than
$25 million. Figure 3 shows the number of vehicle recoveries made by the task force for each year.
Figure 2
*Beginning in 2001, Investigations were recorded as either Initiated (by the unit) or Assisted (assists to
other agencies) Investigations. These yearly totals represent the combination of both.
Figure 3
Funding Summary
The Illinois Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Act that took effect on January 1, 1991 created the Illinois
Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Council. The Council has the statutory responsibility to “prevent, combat,
and reduce motor vehicle theft in Illinois.”
The Act established the Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Trust Fund, a special trust fund in the State
Treasury, from which the Council makes grants to eligible applicants for programs that address the
problem of motor vehicle theft in Illinois. The Act requires all insurance companies licensed to write
private passenger motor vehicle physical damage coverage in Illinois to pay annually into this trust fund
an amount equal to $1 for each earned car year of exposure for physical damage insurance coverage
during the previous calendar year. About $6 million is collected each year.
The Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Trust Fund funds the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force. Table 1 lists
the amounts granted to and expended by the task force for each program year.
Table 1
Metro East Auto Theft Task Force
Funding by Program Year
Note: Unexpended grants funds are returned to the Council.
Figure 4 summarizes the task force’s expenditures from 1992 through 2008. Expenditures are divided
into six categories:
Personnel—includes salaries, social security, and fringe benefits for program staff.
Equipment—includes computers, communication devices, and other equipment with a cost greater than
$50.
Commodities—includes consumable supplies (such as office supplies) and equipment costing less than
$50.
Travel—includes lodging, food, and transportation expenses incurred by program staff while conducting
official program-related business.
Contractual—includes facility costs, utilities, telephone service, equipment rentals, and wages for hourly
personnel.
Other—includes any costs not covered by the above categories.
Figure 4
*Due to rounding, the category percentages may not total 100 percent
Conclusion
Between 1992 and 2007 motor vehicle thefts in the Metro East area decreased 8 percent, from 2,077 to
1,902. Between 2000 and 2007, motor vehicle thefts decreased from 1,990 to 1,902, or 4 percent.
Data on the value of stolen vehicles are not available at the state or county level; however, the FBI
estimates that the average value of a vehicle stolen in the United States in 2007, the most recent data
available, was $6,755. Based on this value, the increase of 120 auto thefts in the Metro East area
between 2006 and 2007, from 1,782 to 1,902, amounts to a ‘loss’ of more than $810,000.00.
In 2007, the task force received a total of $699,978 in funding from the Illinois Motor Vehicle Theft
Prevention Trust Fund, and has recovered an estimate of $2,125,098 in stolen vehicles, cargo, and parts.
Combining the recovery value ($2,125,098) with the loss from increased auto theft ($810,600), the task
force has produced a $1,314,498 ‘return’ on its $699,978 in funding, a ‘return rate’ of $1.88 for every $1 of
funding in 2007.
