Chicago Group Engages In 'Mobilizations' After Food Delivery Drivers Are Carjacked In Austin
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A warning today for food delivery drivers.
There's a home in the Austin neighborhood you want to avoid. Three drivers all targeted after food was ordered to an address on North Menard Avenue.
CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reports with what she's learning about the investigation. Detectives at Area 4 issued an alert to all food delivery drivers after three carjackings in 16 days.
A person has been using a home on the 1000 block on North Menard in Austin as an address for food deliveries.
The home appears to be vacant. When the delivery driver arrives, the person robs them and takes their vehicle.
The carjackings happened on October 8th, 12th and the 23rd. Research from the CBS 2 Investigators showed there have been more than 100 carjackings in Austin this year. It's more than any other neighborhood in the city.
"We understand here in Austin that carjacking is up significantly."
James Coleman is the Director of Community Wellness at the Westside Health Authority. Coleman said the Austin-based organization does in home intervention with young people, along with mentoring, to give them alternatives to committing crimes on the streets.
"Since COVID, these carjackings have increased, so you know, you've got the youth with idle time and they're not engaged," Coleman said. "So it could be just as simple as engaging them in some positive activity and that's what we seek to do at the Westside Health Authority."
Coleman is also part of the Austin Response Team. The community group works closely with the 15th District Chicago police.
"We talk about solutions. We do what is called mobilizations," Coleman said. "We come together with the police department, concerned citizens and other stakeholders to bring positive action after a violent event."
We do not know the names of the food delivery companies involved in the carjackings. CBS 2 reached out to four major delivery companies to ask about their policy on alerting drivers about situations like this. CBS 2 is waiting to hear back.
