Tri-County Auto Theft Unit

The Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force Unit was created by State legislature and imposes a fee for every auto insurance policy which is written on a car registered in the state. The funds are used to finance the efforts of a number of Illinois Task Forces organized to locate and prosecute auto theft cases.

The Tri-County Unit operates in Will, Grundy, and Kankakee Counties and is comprised of police officers from a number of police departments operating in the three-county area. The fund provides partial payment of the annual salary of an Assistant State’s Attorney whose services are dedicated to the prosecution of auto theft-related cases.

The Task Force’s goal is to find stolen vehicles and to root out organized auto theft rings. The efforts of the Task Force have prevented organized auto theft rings from being a significant problem in Will County and have stopped the proliferation of large scale chop shops.

By devoting one experienced felony prosecutor to handle daily court calls, process the vertical prosecution of the auto theft case from investigation to verdict, and develop cases for future prosecution, as well as the State’s Attorney’s Office executing search warrants and the use of judicially authorized eavesdrops, the State’s Attorney’s Office plays a meaningful role in the prevention of auto thefts in Will County and the Tri-County area.