Brazen smash-and-grab burglaries have plagued some GameStop locations across the Chicago area for months.

At least six stores were targeted across the city since August of last year — one of which led to a Chicago police officer being hit by a car and firing a shot at the fleeing vehicle. 

With the stores becoming a common target for thieves, some of the stores in the Chicago area are taking new steps to fight back.

A massive mobile surveillance unit in the parking lot of the Addison Mall has been keeping watch over the GameStop there, less than five months after an officer was hit by a car responding to a smash-and-grab robbery.

Taking up two parking spaces and sporting flashing blue lights, the property manager of First American Properties, Edward Dushman, said GameStop asked for the extra security during the holidays.

"GameStop paid for it themselves," he said.

Fortunately, it seems to have been a deterrent, as they haven't had a robbery since it was installed.

The memories of the Aug. 7 smash-and-grab crime remain fresh. That's the day when a robbery suspect fleeing in a car hit a responding police officer, who, according to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, then fired his weapon into the ground.

Unfortunately, this was one of at least a dozen GameStop locations targeted by thieves in Chicago and the Chicago suburbs in 2025.

One incident included a location in Cicero that was also hit in August. The Orland Park location was smashed into in September. Within the same month, burglars crashed into this Hillside store. In November, this location on Cermak took a hit.

"The employees that I spoke to were terrified," said Journalist Nicole Carpenter. 

Carpenter, who specifically covers the gaming industry, said some individual businesses are having to find creative ways to keep their employees safe.

"The workers that I spoke to told me that it has largely been up to stores and store managers to figure out the ways to protect themselves," she said.

"I don't think the tenant should have to do that. And we have security there, but not through the, you know, after midnight till 6 a.m.," Dushman said.   

Why is GameStop being targeted by thieves?

Carpenter has been following this problem since 2023. While gaming consoles are expensive and easy to resell, she said, as of late, "collectibles" like trading cards, especially Pokémon cards, have become the big target. 

"They are easy to resell, because, one, they're rare, and you can resell them for a higher price, because they're hard to get, they're hard to get your hands on," said.

In addition to extra surveillance, some GameStops have resorted to GPS trackers on valuable products.

But so far, the Texas-based company has not responded to CBS News Chicago's request for comment on any additional measures it's taking to keep stores and employees safe. 

Dushman said he hopes local stores can weather the storm.

"Nobody wants vacancies, it doesn't look good, it's not good for the economy, it's not good for the city," he said.

GameStop stores in Orland Park and Tinley Park have confirmed that they are closing their doors within the next week. Both of those stores were targeted by burglars in September. 

Others have announced closures in the coming months, but GameStop has not said if any of the closures are necessary due to theft or safety concerns.