Elmhurst Faces Major Shoplifting Issue: City Officials Take Action

Illinois stores are losing thousands of dollars every year because of shoplifters but one town has a plan to help solve the problem.

Major Crime Problem In Illinois

Unless you've been living off the grid, I'm sure you're aware of the crime problem in Illinois. It seems to get worse every day. In fact, shoplifting has gotten out of control. Some stores have started locking up frequently stolen items. I don't blame them because they're losing so much money from thieves stealing merchandise.

Illinois Town Has Issue With Shoplifting

Shoplifting has become such a big issue in Elmhurst, that the local police are receiving multiple calls every day. The main targets in town by thieves are stores located at the Brixmor Elmhurst Crossing shopping center which includes Kohl's, Whole Foods, At Home, Petco, and Shoe Carnival. To put it in perspective, some suspects have stolen so much merchandise, that they've been charged with a felony when actually busted.

Technology Used To Stop Shoplifting In Illinois

How To Battle Shoplifting In Illinois Town?

These shoplifters are costing thousands of dollars between the stolen merchandise and the police calls to the stores. It's gotten so bad, that city officials finally had to come up with a plan. After doing some research, they came up with a good idea. They were able to score a grant to fund this new program.

Technology Used To Stop Shoplifters In Illinois Town

With the grant money, the local police were able to dip their toes in crime prevention technology. They were able to install three license plate reader cameras in the strip mall's parking lot. That will make it much easier to capture the thieves. Congrats to the cops for coming up with a great plan to help out the community.

According to patch.com,

Elmhurst is getting the money for the readers through an attorney general's grant to combat organized retail theft, according to a city memo last week.