CHICAGO (CBS) — A liquor store near West Englewood early Tuesday became the latest Chicago business to be targeted in a crash-and-grab burglary — and a Chicago alderman said his constituents are tired of such crimes.
In the incident early Tuesday morning, surveillance footage captured an SUV backing into the doors of Rainbow Food & Liquors, 7100 S. Ashland Ave., and ramming through the doors. At least ten people ran in and stole thousands of merchandise.
A series of similar smash-and-grabs have also occurred on the Magnificent Mile, and Ald. Brain Hopkins (2nd) said help is on the way. Protective bollards will be installed between Chicago Avenue and Ohio Street in the coming weeks as a possible solution to this collisions involving vehicles.
“They are designed to withstand the impact of a vehicle up to 40 miles per hour,” Hopkins said.
More than 40 protective bollards will be installed on the designated section of the Mag Mile.
“The garden posts we have are a combination of planters with decorative flowers in them, as well as upright garden posts that are functional but not ugly,” Hopkins said.
The posts, which are placed in front of the shops, are intended to stop fast-moving cars. Some retailers told CBS 2 this year that they considered leaving Chicago after their businesses were burglarized and burglarized.
Among them are David and Robert Kim from SVRNa streetwear store on the ground floor of the 6-year-old Aberdeen East luxury apartment building at 171 N. Aberdeen St. They had concrete barriers for their storefront, but they were no match for a organized crew of crash-and-grab burglars this past winter.
That burglary was at least the third time that SVRN was hit in a short period of time.
“If this lawlessness continues to happen, we have to move,” Robert Kim said in an interview in January. “There’s no way we can keep this up.”
But Hopkins said if the new bollards are successful downtown, they could be a tool that more Chicago neighborhoods could start using.
“Some neighborhoods that have been victims of these types of crimes, we would be more than willing to address them and provide some assistance,” Hopkins said. ‘They can’t afford to keep replacing their walls. If this becomes the most normal thing in the world, they will go bankrupt.’
Ald. Hopkins said installation of the bollards on the Mag Mile will begin on Wednesday, June 26. He expects them to be completed before the Democratic National Convention rolls into town in August.
