Lincoln Park residents raise concerns about string of daylight home burglaries
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Some Lincoln Park residents are sounding the alarm on home burglaries, some of which happened in broad daylight, noting a troubling pattern of similarities in the crimes, and they are asking why Chicago police have yet to publicly connect the dots.
With the holidays fast approaching, many Lincoln Parkers want others to be aware and stay safe as they get ready to travel.
One victim of a string of burglaries was targeted over Thanksgiving—the burglars in and out in just minutes.
"Within two minutes of us leaving, that's when the perpetrators entered," she said. "Clearly they had been watching and kind of moved very quickly."
The woman didn't want to share her name, but she does want to share her experience of being the victim of a burglary to serve as a warning to others.
"They were in our house, in and out, in seven minutes," she said. "They bee-lined to our bedroom closet, and took all of our jewelry and many of my purses; opened up all of our drawers and all of the cabinets."
She's not alone. Photos and videos shared by other Lincoln park homeowners who have been burglarized in recent months show high-end bags and shoes picked over, dressers ripped out. One victim's floor and wall were severely damaged from a heavy safe being thrown down a set of stairs.
In each case, a group of at least three people with masks and hoods approached the homes through the alley, and broke in through back doors.
Each burglary happened during afternoon or early evening hours.
"I think you go through the five stages of grief. I think it's a lot of frustration with that this seems to be a continuing issue in the city," the woman said.
So far this year, Chicago Police Department data shows that Area 3, which covers most of the North Side, had more than 2,100 burglaries—a 6% increase from a year ago.
The four victims who spoke to CBS News Chicago about recent burglaries all live in Area 3.
"I feel like this is Fort Knox now … and that's unfortunately how you have to live going forward," the woman said.
So far, Chicago police have not publicly connected these burglaries, and have not issued a community alert, which is typically triggered when there's a reoccurring pattern of a crime.