Dispatch from Beat 1424 CAPS Meeting
By Dika at February 9, 2012 | 12:36 am | Print
Despite the increase in crimes like burglaries and strong arm robberies in the Wicker Park area, Wednesday night’s Beat 1424 CAPS meeting was lightly attended, with only about a dozen residents present. Some showed up to the meeting just to “check it out” while others arrived with specific concerns, like the young couple who live in a townhouse complex near Wabansia and Western. Packages were getting stolen from a common courtyard area and they have an inkling that someone is gaining entry to their code-locked gate.
“At first we thought the postal service was stealing the packages, and we filed a report with them,” the neighbor explained. “Our neighbor’s housekeeper saw someone break into the gate and steal some packages and she called and reported them, but now that we know that they (thieves) were on our stoops we are a little frightened.”
The couple told District 14’s Sgt. Anita Bielicki that their neighbors were interested in starting a neighborhood watch. “That’s a wonderful solution,” said Sgt. Bielicki. “Connected neighbors are the best deterrent to any kind of crime. When you have crime in an area, I like to ask ‘Well, how many of your neighbors do you know?” and a lot of the time, they don’t know any of their neighbors.”
A local business owner told officers that he was receiving counterfeit bills lately. Fake $100 bills and bleached out $5 bills reprinted to look like $50. This grift seems to be hitting bars in the neighborhood, where shady patrons use bogus large bills to make small purchases, like let’s say one PBR, and end up making out with a lot of the bar’s real money when they get their change.
Sgt. Bielicki addressed the crimes that have put Wicker Park in the top of the news hour lately, the 13 reported strong arm robberies that have targeted women in the areas bounded by Ashland, Division, Central Park, and Diversey. “There have been some arrests made but unfortunately, it wasn’t tied to the offenders,” she said.
Sgt. Bielicki stressed that though a special investigative team is on top of the issue, that many precautions should be taken to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of similar crimes. The officers suggest walking in pairs, in well-lit areas. Do not walk while wearing earphones or headphones and do not use electronic devices which may distract you. Be aware of your surroundings at all times, especially people behind you, and pay special attention to loiterers or people you feel seem out-of-place or suspicious.
The offender of these strong arm attacks may have an accomplice and may be armed. He is described as a black male, between 18-39 years old, 5′ 8 to 6′ 6, 150-180 lbs, and wears a brown hooded sweatshirt or a black puffy coat. In three of the incidents the offender was described as having dreadlocks. There may be a 4 -door 1990s white Cadillac DeVille used in the robberies. The officers agree that this description is very vague and urge that if you are the unfortunate victim of a crime, to have the wherewithal to identify your offender. Look for distinct features like clothing logos, piercings, hairstyles, scars, and tattoos.
A community alert was issued for the 25th and 14th district for an offender who is known to sexually assault victims who have “high risk lifestyles.” The offender is armed with a knife and is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 35 years old, between 5 foot 7 and 5 foot 8 with a stocky build. The offender wear his hair in a Mohawk pulled into a pony tail, with the sides of his head shaved. The offender has a medium complexion and sports a tattoo of a cross on his right shoulder.
The next CAPS meeting for Beat 1424 is April 11 at the Wicker Park Field house, 1425 N. Damen Ave. Next Wednesday, Feb. 15, there’s a Beat 1434 CAPS meeting at the WPB Library, 1701 N. Milwaukee. If you would like to get more information about your beat (find it here) or if you would like to speak to a CAPS officer about organizing up a neighborhood watch, you can contact the CAPS office at (312) 744-1261.
words and images by Nandika Gervais
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