CHICAGO – A woman was robbed while she was riding a Divvy bike in the city’s Old Town neighborhood and the incident was caught on surveillance video.
The woman was robbed while on the 1800 block of North Sedgwick Street on Wednesday. She was pulled from the bike and had her purse stolen.
The woman told officers that three offenders were black males, 15 to 18 years old, and 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall. She told police their car is a black Honda Civic or Honda Accord with an out-of-state plate that may begin with 311.
The robbery was one of two on Wednesday in the neighborhood. According to North Side neighborhood blog CWB Chicago, it was one of seven in the area since Jan. 14.
Old Town resident Karen Stephenson lived in the neighborhood for 38 years. She believes the streets have never been more dangerous.
“Scary this is getting crazy, insane every day I hear of something new. It’s almost like you can’t go out of your home. We feel terrorized in this neighborhood,” Stephenson said.
Stephenson said she and some of her neighbors have requested additional police patrols and also are considering hiring private security.
Private security seems to be a growing trend. Several North Side neighborhoods have already done so including in and around Wrigleyville.
Alderman Michele Smith, 43rd Ward, issued the following statement:
“Today, the City has formed a new task force being created to focus solely on carjacking. It will be multi-disciplinary with the Chicago Police Department along with various agencies such as the Cook County Sheriff’s Police and federal partners.
But putting more police on the street, whether public or private, is not the sole answer.
I am reviewing data that points to recent changes in the juvenile justice system that appear to be a significant part of the problem. Crime must have consequences.
In the meantime, I have been assured that there will be an additional ten new police officers assigned to our neighborhood, as well as the increased involvement of the robbery squad.”
