(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A Chicago alderman believes a free registration system being offered by the Cook County Sheriff's Office could play a key role in stopping carjackings and car thefts.
Through the tracked vehicle partnership, owners register their vehicles and give consent for the sheriff's office to track it using the vehicles GPS system if it's stolen.
After seeing how quickly two vehicles stolen in his ward were recovered using their GPS systems, Alderman Bryan Hopkins sent an email to constituents encouraging them to participate in the program.
"If the vehicle is already registered, law enforcement can intervene quickly they have a direct line to the manufacturers," he explained. "It just increases the chances of the vehicle being recovered and the car thieves being arrested once the vehicle is registered."
The sheriff's office sends the owner two stickers that state the vehicle is being tracked.
"It creates a disincentive for criminals to steal cars if they know they can be caught almost immediately," Hopkins added.
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