Community Alert: Late Night Burglaries

The police have issued a community alert about a series of burglaries/home invasions that have occurred in the 19th District.  Before you start panicking... none of them have been in Uptown.  But there've been 14 of them since the beginning of August, taking place in North Center, Wrigleyville, Ravenswood, Lakeview and Lincoln Park, and we all know that bad guys don't care about community boundaries, so these are good common-sense tips in any circumstances.

"This alert gives notice to residents of the 19th District of several residential burglaries which have occurred primarily during overnight hours while residents are asleep. Offender(s) gain access to the residence usually through open/unlocked windows or doors. The offender(s) avoids contact with the occupants and removes property.

About the Offenders:  The offender has been described as a male black between 18-35 years of age, 5'07" tall in two burglaries. In one case, the offender has been described as a male Hispanic 20-25 years of age 140-160 lbs. with brown eyes, black hair and an olive complexion. 

What you can do: 

• Be aware of this situation and alert neighbors in the area about this crime. 
• Install locking devices to all windows and doors and engage locks. 
• Remove shrubs or any obstructions that block view of windows. 
• Remove ladders and other objects outside that may provide access to 2nd floor windows or doors. 
• Consider installing motion detectors and alarms for your residence and garage. 
• If an offender is observed in your residence, call 911 immediately and provide a detailed description of the offender(s). 

If you have any information Contact the Bureau of Detectives – Area North at (312) 744-8263."