Cook County sheriff’s anti-carjacking initiative becomes law

Legislation pushed by Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart to help police more quickly locate carjacked vehicles is now law.

Automakers that sell vehicles within the state will be required to create a 24/7 hotline to relay location information on vehicles involved in a carjacking or kidnapping to law enforcement if the information is available, according to a news release.

The measure includes safeguards to protect consumers, ensuring that such data is only released to police when the vehicle owner consents, when there is a warrant or court order or in situations where there is a clear and present danger of death or bodily harm.

Many vehicles built after 2015 have location-tracking capabilities, but legal access to that data is routinely delayed when automakers do not staff existing call centers after hours, require victims to pay a service fee to activate tracking or institute legally unnecessary hurdles.

”Every second counts when we are trying to bring offenders of this terrifying crime to justice and stop those vehicles from being used in more violent crimes,” Dart said in a news release. “That’s why I’m so grateful for the lawmakers who worked with me on this bill. The quicker we can recover these vehicles, the more likely we are to catch and prosecute offenders and the more of these crimes we can prevent.”

Dart was the first in the nation to raise this issue with automakers in late 2021 and requested the industry’s collaboration in addressing carjackings. After months of auto industry inaction, the Sheriff’s Office pursued legislation..

HB2245, which was co-sponsored by more than 100 lawmakers, was passed by the Illinois General Assembly in May with overwhelming bi-partisan support. The legislation was signed into law July 28, by Gov. JB Pritzker and goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

Carjackings continue to be a concern for Cook County residents. Through July 29 of this year, there have been 764 carjackings reported in Cook County. That is down nearly 30% for the same time period in 2022 but a 22% increase from the same time period in 2020.

The hotline is just one of the Sheriff’s Office efforts to address carjackings.

Sheriff’s Police are one of the primary agencies in a regional task force that has helped decrease the amount of time it takes to locate carjacked vehicles. Dart also created a consent-to-track form, where vehicle owners can pre-authorize access to vehicle tracking information in the event it’s illegally taken. Having the completed form on hand will make it easier for law enforcement to access tracking information from manufacturers. After submitting the form to the Sheriff’s Office, owners are sent carjacking-deterrent decals they can place on their vehicles.

The consent form and safety tips are available on the Sheriff’s Office website.