Local car dealers see thieves getting more brazen

With the economy still stagnant and auto parts at a premium, one Downers Grove car dealer says his lot has become “a shopping center for thieves.”

Gregg Webb, owner of Packey Webb Ford, said each of his five dealerships lose an average of about $10,000 a year as a result of theft and vandalism.

Most recently, Webb said, his dealership at 2150 W. Ogden Ave. fell victim to a brazen thief who removed the hood from a 2009 Mustang that was parked in the front row of the lot, just feet from the busy road.

“I have people here from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. but from 10 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. my lot turns into a shopping mall for thieves,” Webb said. “This car on Friday night wasn't even in a back corner or something. It's right here up in front.”

When asked what security measures are in place, Webb instead listed potential problems with each approach.

“Cameras are good to catch our employees because we know them. Otherwise you have no idea who you're watching so it's useless,” he said. “Security firms are expensive and dogs are a liability. A guard dog bites someone and then I'm on the hook for that, too.”

One solution he has employed, however, is removing in-dash GPS systems from new vehicles and locking them in a safe location. He reinstalls the systems once a car has been purchased.

Webb said police in towns with dealerships along Ogden Avenue probably “spend hours taking reports like mine,” but said it's not always worth reporting claims to the insurance company.

“Most of these dealerships have $1,000 deductibles per incident,” he said, “so if I have six cars vandalized at $1,000 a pop, that adds up and often isn't worth the cost, not to mention the increased rates or the risk of being dropped from coverage.”

Officials at nearby dealerships, including Ogden Lincoln Mercury and Ogden Chevy of Westmont, did not return messages Tuesday afternoon. Downers Grove police also did not return a call.

Sgt. Michael Dale of the Westmont Police Department, however, said he reviews the department's reports daily and hasn't seen a rash of thefts or vandalism at dealerships.

“I've seen nothing like (the vandalism Webb described) in the past year or two,” Dale said. “Occasionally a dealer will lose a spare tire but if anything more than that is happening, they're not telling us about it.”