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Chicago police are warning Hyde Park and East Hyde Park residents after not less than three Honda Civics have been damaged into and stripped of their airbags in current weeks, a part of a nationwide surge in thefts pushed by a profitable black marketplace for the protection units.
The native thefts occurred between January 5 and January 15 within the 5100 and 5300 blocks of South Dorchester Avenue and South Shore Drive. In every case, thieves broke car home windows and eliminated steering wheel airbags from Honda Civics, in line with the alert.
Airbag theft, notably from Honda autos, has surged throughout many states, with thieves in a position to take away the units in as little as 20 seconds and promote them on the black marketplace for lots of of {dollars}, in line with legislation enforcement experiences and auto physique retailers. Honda’s reputation makes the model a constant goal, with components in larger demand for each respectable and unlawful functions.
The thefts are pushed by the numerous value hole between respectable and illicit airbags, in line with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau. The company experiences that roughly 50,000 airbags are stolen yearly nationwide. Manufacturing unit alternative airbags usually value round $1,000, whereas black market alternate options promote for a fraction of that value.
A fast search of Fb Market on Sunday morning discovered dozens of Honda airbags being provided on the market in Chicagoland, with costs starting from $120 to $400 apiece. It’s unimaginable to know if the airbags being provided on the market there are respectable or stolen.
The surge in thefts is inflicting one other downside. A backlog in orders for respectable components is inflicting prolonged delays for crime victims who have to get their stolen airbags changed. The delays, usually stretching into weeks or months, have pushed some annoyed house owners to show to the identical black market financial system that brought about them to lose their airbag within the first place.
One other unsavory twist: The Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau says some unscrupulous auto retailers are putting in stolen black market airbags whereas billing insurance coverage firms manufacturing unit alternative costs.
How are you going to shield your airbag? Specialists say you may attempt parking in a well-lit space and utilizing a club-style steering wheel lock, however these choices supply restricted safety at greatest.
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