Nine locked, unoccupied cars left Chicago streets between October 12 and November 1, and the police alert that followed declines to say how anyone got in.
The 19th District notice, dated November 3, lists addresses in Uptown, Lakeview, Lakeview East, Buena Park and Wrigleyville, at hours spread across weekday afternoons and late nights. The phrasing – an unknown offender entered and took possession – points to the cars being driven rather than towed.
Same problem, new blocks
The alert repeats a warning issued two weeks earlier for Fulton Market and West Town, where thefts ran from October 1 to October 13. The North Side series begins October 12, overlapping the earlier pattern by a single day. Commanders have not said whether the two runs share a crew.
Electronic key programming is the likeliest mechanism, and Chicago police have pointed to it before as the driver behind a renewed rise in thefts. The tools are legitimate kit for locksmiths; listings advertise frequency detection, fresh smart keys in about a minute and coverage of more than 700 models, including Honda, Toyota, BMW, Volkswagen and GM.
Past the Kia Boys era
The city’s last theft wave turned on a design shortcut that let some cars start with a USB cable, pushing reports to record highs in 2023 and 2024. Those numbers fell in 2025. This year they are up roughly 5% citywide, and the tactics have moved from one weak model line to whatever sits on the block.
Autel, a maker of diagnostic and key tools, said this year it is adding security validation to some key and immobilizer products. That arrives long after the current run of thefts began.
Police advise parking under lights and fitting a visible anti-theft system. They have not named a single recovered device, vehicle model or suspect.
