CPD issue alert following more than 60 of armed robberies on North, West and Northwest sides
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago Police want you to be on alert in the wake of a string of armed robberies all around the city's North, West, and Northwest sides – along with a few right downtown.
As CBS 2's Sara Machi reported, 10 police districts are warning about the robbery spree. The community alert might feature the longest list of robberies we've ever seen come into our newsroom in recent memory.
The zone the in which the robbers targeted victims is vast – with only the South Side being excluded.
On the corner of Van Buren and Jefferson streets in the West Loop, the owners of a new gym looked at their security video for the first time.
"It makes me a little uneasy, because like, I thought this was a pretty safe neighborhood," said Kelli Coleman, co-owner of the GND Strength Society.
Just days after the gym's ribbon cutting this past weekend, they're looking for - though not finding - video of an armed robbery feet from their front door.
Police say they're investigating a reported robbery at that location in which a 28-year-old man and 31-year-old woman robbed at gunpoint around 1:20 a.m. Monday. The two thieves then drove from the scene in a black Toyota hatchback, police said.
Police linked the robbery to one on Randolph Street in the West Loop two hours later – and a third on Racine Avenue in Uptown 30 minutes after that.
A total of 62 armed robberies have been documented since June 23. The latest was on Monday – with most occurring during the early morning hours.
In each case, two to five young men wearing ski masks jump out of a black sport-utility vehicle and displayed a weapon before demanding the victims' belongings.
In some instances, the gunmen demanded the victims unlock their phones or provide their passcodes.
Police say in 14 of the incidents, the victims either had their vehicle stolen or were battered by one of the suspects.
The full list of times and locations is below:
- 1800 block of West Grand Avenue, West Town, on June 23 at 10 p.m.
- 1900 block of West Ohio Street, West Town, on June 23 at 10:15 p.m.
- 200 block of West Institute Place, Near North Side, on June 23 at 11:50 p.m.
- 1000 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, Noble Square, on 2023 at 12:05 a.m.
- 1300 block of North Paulina Street, Wicker Park, on June 24 at 12:07 a.m.
- 1900 block of West 21st Street, Pilsen, on June 24 at 7:10 a.m.
- 1200 block of North Maplewood Avenue, Humboldt Park, on June 25 at 9:07 a.m.
- 2100 block of West North Avenue, Wicker Park, on June 25 at 9:30 a.m.
- 200 block of West Madison Street, Downtown, on July 3 at 3:23 a.m.
- 0-99 block of West Goethe Street, Gold Coast, on July 3 at 4:05 a.m.
- 600 block of West Webster Avenue, Lincoln Park, on July 3 at 4:08 a.m.
- 5000 block of West Montrose Avenue, Portage Park, on July 3 at 5:20 a.m.
- 5800 block of West Eastwood Avenue, Portage Park, on July 3 at 5:30 a.m.
- 900 block of North Washtenaw Avenue, Humboldt Park, on July 7 at 12:28 a.m.
- 1100 block of North Washtenaw Avenue, Humboldt Park, on July 7 at 12:30 a.m.
- 2300 block of West Thomas Street, Ukrainian Village, on July 7 at 12:35 p.m.
- 2400 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, Logan Square, on July 7 at 12:53 a.m.
- 2600 block of North Central Avenue, Belmont Central, on July 7 at 1 a.m.
- 2700 block of West Haddon Avenue, Humboldt Park, on July 7 at 1 a.m.
- 1800 block of North Cicero Avenue, North Austin, on July 7 at 6:19 a.m.
- 1800 block of North Le Claire Avenue, North Austin, on July 7 at 6:25 a.m.
- 1700 block of North Normandy Avenue, Galewood, on July 8 at 4:20 p.m.
- 1900 block of North Leavitt Street, Bucktown, on July 8 at 7:57 p.m.
- 400 block of North Noble Street, West Loop, on July 8 at 8:45 p.m.
- 3600 block of North California Avenue, Irving Park, on July 9 at 12:12 a.m.
- 2800 block of West Chicago Avenue, Humboldt Park, on July 9 at 12:15 a.m.
- 4000 block of North Damen Avenue, Ravenswood, on July 9 at 1:30 a.m.
- 4600 block of North Ravenswood Avenue, Ravenwood, July 9 at 1:39 a.m.
- 3200 block of West Montrose Avenue, Albany Park, on July 9 at 1:58 a.m.
- 600 block of West Madison Street, West Loop, on July 9 at 2:30 a.m.
- 4500 block of North Keokuk Avenue, Mayfair, on July 9 at 3:17 a.m.
- 1900 block of West Norwood Street, West Rogers Park, on July 9 at 3:30 a.m.
- 2000 block of West Peterson Avenue, West Rogers Park, on July 9 at 4:02 a.m.
- 6400 block of North Oakley Avenue, West Rogers Park, on July 9 at 4:19 a.m.
- 6400 block of North Claremont Avenue, West Rogers Park, on July 9 at 4:22 a.m.
- 400 block of South Federal Street, Downtown, on July 9 at 4:40 a.m.
- 700 block of South Michigan Avenue, Downtown, on July 9 at 4:55 a.m.
- 2300 block of North California Avenue, Logan Square, on July 9 at 5:00 a.m.
- 1200 block of South Wabash Avenue, South Loop, on July 9 at 5:05 a.m.
- 3100 block of West North Avenue, Humboldt Park, on July 9 at 5:10 a.m.
- 1900 block of West Montrose Avenue, Ravenswood, on July 10 at 12:01 a.m.
- 4400 block of North Sheridan Road, Uptown, on July 10 at 6:10 a.m.
- 3900 block of North Lincoln Avenue, North Center, on July 10 at 6:20 a.m.
- 2000 block of North Damen Avenue, Bucktown, on July 10 at 6:25 a.m.
- 3300 block of North Paulina Street, West Lakeview, on July 10 at 6:26 a.m.
- 600 block of South Wabash Avenue, South Loop, on July 11 at 3:54 a.m.
- 2100 block of West Devon Avenue, West Rogers Park, on July 11 at 4:37 a.m.
- 6000 block of North Western Avenue, West Rogers Park, on July 11 at 4:40 a.m.
- 6000 block of North Paulina Street, Edgewater, on July 11 at 4:45 a.m.
- 5000 block of North Broadway, Uptown, on July 11 at 4:50 a.m.
- 3800 block of West Lawrence Avenue, Albany Park, on July 11 at 4:55 a.m.
- 3800 block of West Lawrence Avenue, Albany Park, on July 11 at 5 a.m.
- 4900 block of North Elston Avenue, North Mayfair, on July 11 at 5:04 a.m.
- 5300 block of North Elston Avenue, Forest Glen, on July 11 at 5:19 a.m.
- 2900 block of West Palmer Street, Logan Square, on July 11 at 12 p.m.
- 4300 block of West Diversey Avenue, Hermosa, on July 11 at 4 p.m.
- 2500 block of North Kilbourn Avenue, Hermosa, on July 11 at 4:05 p.m.
- 2800 block of North Drake Avenue, Avondale, on July 11 at 4:10 p.m.
- 5300 block of West Bloomingdale Avenue, Galewood, on July 11 at 4:23 p.m.
- 600 block of West Van Buren Street, West Loop, on July 17 at 1:30 a.m.
- 1200 block of West Randolph Street, West Loop, on July 17 at 3:30 a.m.
- 4700 block North Racine Avenue, Uptown, on July 17 at 3:58 a.m.
"I've never seen a list that lengthy," said Loyola University criminology and psychology professor Arthur Lurigion. "That's quite concerning."
Lurigio says these crimes - scattered around the city - make it hard for police to concentrate their resources - and affect people's sense of safety.
"That's the kind of crime that elicits the highest level of fear from residents - crimes committed unexpectedly in public by strangers," Lurigio said.
And you'll see that chilling effect back at Coleman's business in the West Loop, where they'd hoped to expand their hours.
"Obviously, we're not open during those hours, but we actually were talking about being 24 hours," Coleman said. "So now finding this out, we might want to roll that back until we have more info."
Anyone with information on these robberies is asked to contact police.
