Illinois Secretary of State pledges $21 million to combat car thefts, recover stolen cars
CHICAGO (CBS) – The Illinois Secretary of State is paying more than $21 million to try to combat car thefts and recover stolen vehicles.
The funds will go to six different law enforcement agencies to give them the resources they need. It's an issue that Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said is very personal to him.
"When I was in high school, I was carjacked at gunpoint," Giannoulias said at a press conference on Tuesday. "One of the worst days of my life, obviously, but the scars that it left on me and my friends is something that too many people across this state and across the country are dealing with."
There were more than 1,600 carjackings in Chicago last year, according to city data, about three times the number the city saw in 2012.