Tinley Park, Sheriff Team Up For Free Carjacking Seminar

TINLEY PARK, IL — The village is hosting a carjacking seminar for all residents amidst a rise in car theft across the south suburbs, Tinley Park Mayor Mike Glotz announced in conjunction with Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.

The seminar will include question and answer portions, tips on how to avoid being a victim of the crime and discuss types of vehicle trackers that are available for purchase.

In a video announcing the April 7 event, Dart said he also hopes to update residents on high profile carjacking cases and walk through exactly what law enforcement does to mitigate them.

While Glotz credited Tinley Park's latest partnership with Orland Park and Orland Hills in stopping thieves from stealing cars from dealerships, he said the south suburbs have still seen a "significant" spike in thefts. According to the mayor, a family member even had their car stolen but was able to locate it and get it back by tracking their GPS keychain.

"If more police had access to GPS data like this, I'm confident more cars would be recovered sooner," Glotz said.

The video referenced other police initiatives that will help "stop the sickness" of carjacking, according to Glotz. The village recently installed license plate reading cameras to faster identify stolen cars.

The seminar will take place at 5 p.m. at the Tinley Park Convention Center. For those who cannot make it to the 18451 Convention Center Drive location, the event will be live-streamed.