CHICAGO (CBS) – Chicago police warned of a series of more than a dozen robberies on the city’s Northwest Side in the past two weeks.
During an incident in Wicker Park, a man was shot while trying to stop a robbery outside a popular bar.
In Roscoe Village, several victims were robbed in two separate early morning incidents this past week. The local councilor said armed robberies in the area are on the rise and neighbors are calling on police to stop them.
The first robbery police noticed in a community alert occurred on May 14, just after midnight, in the 2200 block of North Clybourn.
But it was the May 17 robbery in the 2000 block of North Avenue outside Estelle’s where police began to connect the incidents. Police said two women were standing outside when a silver car pulled up and someone tried to rob them at gunpoint. A man came to help and was shot by the would-be robbers. He was left in critical condition.
The crimes continued north in Avondale and Roscoe Village. Around 5 a.m. on May 24 at School Street and Keeler Avenue, police said three to four men jumped out of a stolen dark-colored Dodge Durango wearing dark clothing and ski masks. They approached a man with guns, had him unlock his phone and hand it over.
A few blocks away, a similar robbery took place at 5 a.m. on School Street in Roscoe Village
“I feel like we need more police presence in this neighborhood,” said Amy Lindsay, an 11-year Chicago resident.
Lindsay said she moved to Roscoe Village for her safety, but no longer feels safe.
“Scared,” she said. “This doesn’t make me want to walk the dog early in the morning or late in the evening.”
In recent months, she said her car was shot, leaving her on edge like other neighbors. Lindsay said she has attended Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) meetings to express her concerns.
“Every seat was filled at the CAPS meeting,” she said. “People were very emotional. People shared their personal stories. People asked for change. ‘What are you going to do differently about this?’ We pay taxes. We want to feel safe in our community.”
As crime increases, she hopes police will adopt residents’ suggestions, including adding more police and security cameras.
“I should be able to walk from the building I live in to my car on the street and not have to worry about being robbed,” Lindsay said.
City officials asked residents to call 911 more often and register their security cameras.
The Dodge Durango used in some of the robberies has now been recovered. Police have been investigating evidence in the hope of catching the robbers.
