South Side residents frustrated as their cars are repeatedly smashed and ransacked

CHICAGO - There is anger and frustration among many south Side residents after thieves broke dozens of car windows in the South Loop and Bronzeville neighborhoods early Tuesday.

Residents say it’s been happening on an almost nightly basis over the past several weeks, and one Chicago alderman believes it’s time to form a special task force to catch the vandals.

FOX 32 watched as Bronzeville resident Donald Brantley taped over his car’s broken windows before heading to see his insurance agent.

"I came out this morning to pick up my mom, take her to work," said Brantley. "I saw this and I didn’t notice the other cars at first. I started looking around and I saw other windows busted, I was like what’s going on?"

Indeed, about a dozen cars were vandalized shortly after midnight near the corner of 37th and Michigan.

Jose Vejasa found broken glass scattered all over his kids’ car seats.

"So we couldn’t even take my daughter to class this morning because the windows were all smashed up," said Vejasa.

It’s been happening nearly every night over the past several weeks in Bronzeville and the South Loop. Thieves are smashing car windows, rummaging for something valuable, then quickly moving onto the next car.

A woman who didn’t want to be identified said vandals broke the same car window on Tuesday that she had just repaired after an earlier theft on August 5.

"You don’t know how you’re going to wake up. Is your car going to be there? Is it going to be vandalized? And what’s the city going to do? What the alderman going to do?"

Third Ward Alderman Pat Dowell said they’ve already brought in an extra patrol car from another district to catch the vandals. But so far no luck.

"I think it’s time to create some kind of task force," Dowell said. "Like we had with the carjacking task force, to make it a focus where there’s some additional resources, not just from the city of Chicago, but perhaps from the state and federal government."

Bronzeville resident Kaniasha Loggers had a message for the vandals.

"Stop it. Someone is going to get hurt behind this. Stop it. Stop touching people's things."