ATM stolen from North Side Chicago grocery store

CHICAGO (CBS) — Another ATM was dragged away in a burglary early Monday, this time right on the cusp of the East Lakeview and Lincoln Park neighborhoods.

The crime trend is behind why it may be harder to find a cash machine in convenience stores across Chicago these days.

In daylight Monday, the front of the Go Grocer at 521 W. Diversey Pkwy., at the intersection with Hampden Court, was boarded up. The entire door frame needs to be replaced after the ATM was pulled through the front of the store.

The Go Grocer store is located on a busy and dense stretch of Diversey Parkway just blocks from the park of Lincoln Park. It is found on the ground floor of a high-rise that was built after another store, The Market Place, closed after 90 years in business and was torn down.

Around 4 a.m. a burglary crew police said were in a red Jeep Cherokee with no license plates made its way to the Go Grocer store. They broke the window, tied a chain to the ATM, dragged it out of the store, and escaped.

While they were at it, they ripped out the front door.

Chicago Police have now issued a warning to business owners about ATM thefts—with eight similar burglaries in a little over 24 hours Sunday into Monday. The stores that were hit in these burglaries were not especially close to the one on Diversey Parkway.

In the business alert, police said unknown burglars have smashed through a glass door or side window at each store and have targeted ATMs and cash registers early Sunday and Monday. The burglaries happened at the following times and locations:

• 4:21 a.m. Sunday in the 5300 block of North Cumberland Avenue, Norwood Park.
• 4:34 a.m. Sunday in the 7000 block of West Higgins Avenue, Union Ridge.
• 4:44 a.m. Sunday in the 4700 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, Portage Park.
• 4:50 a.m. Sunday in the 3400 block of West Irving Park Road, Irving Park.
• 3:05 and 3:07 a.m. Monday in the 5300 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, Jeferson Park.
• 4:04 a.m. Monday in the 4300 block of North Elston Avenue, Irving Park.
• 4:27 a.m. in the 2600 block of North Elston Avenue, Bucktown.

In these incidents, two or three burglars have been observed wearing dark clothing, face masks, and gloves. A silver sedan and a dark-colored sedan are involved.

Chicago Police have not said if they believe the crew in the Diversey Parkway burglary is connected to any of these others. Police also would not say what they are doing to prevent such crimes.

"These incidents typically, if not exclusively, take place after midnight," said Arthur Lurigio, a criminologist and professor at Loyola University.

Lurigio said it is important to keep in mind that such crimes happening across the city also have a larger impact.

"The vulnerability of businesses affects residents' sense of vulnerability to crime," said Lurigio. "This is another instance that spells for Chicagoans, we're not in control. Offenders are in control."

CBS News Chicago has connected with the ATM Security Association. The organization said 55% to 60% of ATMs are independently owned—and there is no federal jurisdiction over independently-owned ATMs.

CBS News Chicago looked closer, and found there is still a law on the books here in Illinois related to ATM theft. The president of the association said the thefts are impacting insurance rates for businesses.

Some owners have chosen to remove ATMs from store locations, even though they are proven to increase foot traffic for small businesses.

"If the thefts are very, very common, all of a sudden the insurance company may raise either your rates or deny you coverage for that particular type of theft," said David Tente, president of the ATM Security Association.

Late Monday, no one was in custody in the Diversey Parkway ATM theft. Chicago Police continued to investigate late Monday.