West Cook News

The Illinois Senate has come up with a plan to combat smash-and-grab retail thefts.

The legislation targets retail theft networks, said state Sen. John Curran (R-Downers Grove), the leading Republican sponsor of this bipartisan legislation.

"These are sophisticated criminal theft enterprises, and the provisions of Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 1091 should serve as a strong deterrent. And of even greater importance, the legislation empowers our law enforcement officials to get these criminals off the street and held accountable for their actions," Curran said in a statement on his website. "The multi-jurisdictional approach to this legislation strips away any perceived shield these criminals think they may enjoy by acting in one particular location, as these organized operations ultimately result in stolen goods being transported and resold throughout the state. Often times, the individuals who commit the actual theft of goods are lower-level participants in the chain. Through this new robust approach, law enforcement can coordinate with local, state and federal authorities to bring all participants to justice, from the planners and perpetrators of the crime, to those who transport and sell the goods either online or in a different location."

"People come in to smash and grab, they scare the employees they scare the folks who are patronizing the stores and they do damage as well. People fear for their lives," said sponsoring Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton, a Western Springs Democrat, according to the Associated Press.

According to the release from Curran's office, House Bill 1091 "is the result of a collaborative effort between the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, the Attorney General's Office, and legislators and staff from both chambers of the Senate."

According to ABC7 Chicago, in 2020 alone, criminals had stolen $4 billion worth of goods. 

"We get customers, they don't want to come here. They think we are in a war zone," Joe Abbas, general manager of Bentley Gold Coast, told ABC7

Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Burr Ridge) said  that organized rings are behind the thefts and they are on the rise. "They're very sophisticated, they're fearless...and unfortunately, they are successful," he said.

"What’s difficult for retail, is retail isn’t like a factory or a government office building. We can’t have everything behind lock and key," said Rob Karr of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, as reported by Fox News. "All of us are victims of retail theft, particularly organized retail crime. Every item that is stolen from a store, there is no sales tax collected on that item."

Karr supports Curran's legislation, stating, “Inaction and half measures will not suffice, lest we continue to surrender to criminals exploiting the current loopholes in our laws. Working in partnership with the Illinois Attorney General’s office, we have helped craft a comprehensive proposal that will bring about real change by investing in law enforcement, holding criminals responsible and making it tougher to resell stolen goods.”