More than 5,000 cars have been stolen in Chicago so far this year

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CHICAGO - New data from the Chicago Police Department shows that more than 5,000 cars have been stolen in the city so far this year.

Police said that as of August 2, 5,486 cars had been stolen in Chicago. That is up 5% over last year at this time. However, it's down significantly from 2017's stolen car numbers:

From January 1 to August 2, 2021: 5,486
From January 1 to August 2, 2020: 5,213
From January 1 to August 2, 2019: 5,302
From January 1 to August 2, 2018: 5,691
From January 1 to August 2, 2017: 6,615

"Motor vehicle thefts" includes cars that are unoccupied (parked on the street, for example). Carjackings – when a car is taken by force – are a growing problem in Chicago, with 870 carjackings through July 22. That is up 53 percent from the same period in 2020.