Residents of the Wentworth neighborhood are on high alert following a string of burglaries reported by the Chicago Police Department. According to their community alert, the burglaries occurred when people entered apartments through various unsecured entrances and proceeded to quickly take property from within. These incidents have unfolded across multiple locations over the past week, heightening concerns among community members.
The burglaries took place on the south side, hitting the 5500 block of Cornell Ave., the 5400 block of University Ave., the 5300 block of Harper Ave., and the 5100 block of Woodlawn Ave. Each incident happened at times when residents might not necessarily be on high alert, such as in the afternoon hours or overnight. To safeguard against further offenses, authorities are urging residents to be more vigilant and to fully secure their homes.
In response to these incidents, the Chicago Police Department has offered a series of recommendations for residents to better protect their property. To help prevent further burglaries, residents should illuminate the perimeter of their property, report any suspicious activity immediately, and ensure all doors and windows are both secured and in good repair. They also stress the importance of neighborhood cooperation, encouraging residents to form agreements with neighbors to monitor each other's homes for unusual activity.
The police have further advised those with video surveillance systems to save and make copies of any incident footage to assist detectives in investigations. In the unfortunate event that a resident becomes a victim of burglary, police stress not to "touch anything, call police immediately." If approached by any potential witnesses, residents are similarly encouraged to gather contact information.
