While Work Truck Thefts Surge, Justice Seems to Stall

July 1, 2025

BURR RIDGE – For plumbing contractors across the Chicago region, the job no longer ends with installing piping, wiring, or sewer lines. Increasingly, their days include filing police reports, reviewing surveillance footage, and pleading with insurance companies — all while trying to reassure employees who are tired of feeling like targets.

At a recent safety Crime Safety Panel organized by the Plumbing Contractors Association of Greater Chicago, stories poured out about work truck break-ins and robberies.

Despite clear video evidence, GPS data, and prompt reporting, many contractors say they’re getting nowhere with law enforcement and the courts. Surveillance cameras have caught suspects’ faces and license plates, and victims have turned over DNA evidence — yet arrests are rare and follow-through is slower still.

“I have video of a guy breaking into our van, plain as day, with a license plate on the car he used,” said Plumbing Contractors Association President Kelly Castrogiovanni, who is also President/Owner of the Countryside-based Terry Plumbing. “That was two years ago. We turned it in, and nothing’s happened. That claim alone was nearly $20,000. My insurance company is threatening to drop us,” she explained.

The problem isn’t limited to theft. Employees are increasingly being followed home or held up at job sites. Longtime staff are quitting rather than risk their safety, and some companies are pulling out of certain Chicago neighborhoods — or the city entirely. Another contractor at the Crime Safety Panel has a 30-year employee who said when it comes to his safety, he would choose his safety over employment and stressed he won’t work in certain areas of the city that are dangerous.

Panel participant Riverside Director of Public Safety Matt Buckley said he sympathize with contractors’ frustrations and acknowledged that property crimes often take a backseat to violent offenses in resource-strapped departments. “We’re not ignoring these cases,” he said. “But we have to prioritize. That said, the more contractors can do to help us — trackers, marked tools, cameras — the more we can act.”

Criminals also make it more difficult for law enforcement because they adapt so quickly by finding AirTags and removing them from stolen goods, disabling cell phones immediately after stealing them so they can’t be tracked, and using stolen or obscured license plates.

On the prosecution side, officials say changes are underway. Ethan Holland of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office noted that his team is now pushing harder for detention in violent and gun-related crimes and reintroducing felony charges for retail theft over $300 — reversing previous policies seen as too lenient.

Cook County has also launched a Felony Review Bypass in select districts, allowing police to move forward on certain cases without waiting for a prosecutor’s sign-off. It’s a shift designed to reduce delays and let officers stay on the street. “We’re turning a corner,” Holland said. “It’s about being smarter on crime — not just tougher. And that includes accountability.”

DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin echoed that sentiment, pointing to the success of combining prosecution with support programs like mental health and drug courts. He stressed that property crime still matters — and failing to address it could cause long-term damage.

“You can’t run a business if you’re losing more than you’re selling,” Berlin said. “Public safety isn’t optional. It’s the foundation of everything.”

Despite improvements in tech and policy, contractors say they’re still carrying the heaviest burden — replacing stolen gear, battling insurers, and keeping employees safe. They want faster response times, more prosecutions, and a criminal justice system that sends a clear message: Crime has consequences.

“We’re doing our part,” one contractor said. “We just need to know someone else is doing theirs.”

As Chicago and its suburbs face the realities of smarter criminals and limited resources, one thing is clear: If public safety is truly a shared responsibility, it’s time to strengthen every link in the chain — from the job site to the courtroom.