Oak Park, a western suburb of Chicago, experienced a string of robberies and a carjacking that occurred during the pre-dawn hours on Sunday, September 24th. Oak Park's police Chief, Shatonya Johnson, responded to weighing concerns from residents by revealing plans to increase patrols. Johnson is said to be working with law enforcement in Chicago in the investigation of these crimes and maintaining the security of locals and visitors, as per a statement covered by the Chicago Tribune.
Between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Sunday, Oak Park was terrorized by four reported armed robberies, an aggravated carjacking, and an aggravated assault revealed the Chicago Tribune. This has understandably created a wave of anxiety throughout the community.
In a bold statement to quickly counteract fear in the community, Chief Shatonya Johnson assured Oak Park residents that their police department was to putting special focus on investigations related to the recent crime spree. Local authorities have launched efforts to locate and apprehend the responsible parties as CBS News reports.
Moreover, law enforcement officers have hinted at possibilities of the Oak Park incidents being part of an even larger crime wave affecting Chicago. Similar armed robberies occurred in Chicago over the same weekend, with several students from DePaul University and Loyola University becoming unfortunate victims. The same Sunday evening, five more individuals found themselves robbed within an hour in Lincoln Park, on the Near North Side, and in West Town, according to CBS News.
