Local businesses across Chicago's Areas 1, 2, and 3 are on high alert following a series of bold commercial burglaries. According to a public notice released by the Chicago Police Department, the criminals use a stolen vehicle to ram into business entrances or, alternately, attach chains to the doors and forcibly open them using a vehicle. Once inside, these unknown offenders make off with merchandise and cash registers.
These incidents, which struck various locations from South Kedzie to West Taylor, occurred at times when the streets were typically quiet, ranging from 2:45 a.m. to 6 a.m. Police reports indicate that on May 27, incidents occurred on the 8000 block of S. Kedzie at 3:05 a.m. and on the 800 block of W. 87th St. at 4:19 a.m. Moving through June, burglaries have hit numerous establishments, including the 200 block of W. Root and the 100 block of E. 51st St., amassing a concerning tally of felony intrusions.
Descriptions of the suspects are worryingly uniform: 7-8 African American males, clad in dark clothing with their identities obscured by face masks and gloves, armed with handguns. This troubling pattern has storefronts uneasy, and community members are increasingly vigilant. Local law enforcement urges business owners to fortify their premises by installing video surveillance and being cautious of their surroundings, especially during the quiet pre-dawn hours when these crimes have been meticulously plotted.
Furthermore, proprietors are encouraged to limit the cash in registers, employ a secure drop box, and preserve any available video evidence for detectives. "If you are a victim do not touch anything, call 911 immediately," asserts the Chicago Police notice. Empowering witnesses, the advisement extends, by asking them for their contact information could afford investigators critical leads to follow. Business owners are grappling with these invasions, not only as attacks on their livelihood but as assaults on the fabric of their community's security and trust.
