Someone Stole My Car Emblem in Rockford. Is It a Crime?

I never thought I'd be the person writing a story about someone stealing a piece off my car, but here we are, chat.

Someone actually stole the Honda emblem right off the front of my car.

No idea when it happened.

TSM Photo - Emily/Canva

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This is probably what I get for not parking in a garage (that's a renting problem lol).

Checking the front of my car isn't something I do often.  It's just one of those things I don't really think about until you have to check the front of your car.

Imagine: you park your car, go about your day and assume everything will be fine.  Then suddenly, someone has decided that something attached to your vehicle is theirs to take.

AND FOR WHAT? A CAR EMBLEM?

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I started wondering if I should file a police report because, maybe, just maybe, other people have reported theirs being stolen.

Is it worth reporting?

Is there an emblem bandit?

Should we all be worried?

Honestly, this has never happened to me before so I don't really know what to think.  I started looking into it way too much and went down a rabbit hole about the laws and found out it's actually a Class A misdemeanor!

Someone Stole My Car Emblem in Rockford. Is It a Crime?

According to Illinois law, removing a part of someone else's vehicle without permission is illegal.  It's a violation to damage a vehicle or remove any part of it without authorization.  The offense is classified as a Class A misdemeanor, and a second or a subsequent conviction under this statute can be classified as a Class 4 felony.

So, while a car emblem might seem like a small thing, it has tough consequences.  And, it costs way too much to replace, money that I don't have!