Community Alert
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Dear Fellow Villagers,
A string of violent incidents took place across the north side between the early morning and late evening hours of Sunday, October 3. One incident occurred in Roscoe Village. We want to make you aware of the Roscoe Village incident, apprise you of our current actions, and relay important safety tips.
Shortly before 11 p.m., three armed individuals approached a 28-year-old male and a 25-year-old female sitting in a car on the 2100 block of West Melrose Street. The assailants forced the couple from the vehicle, confiscated their cell phones, then fled in the stolen car. Neither victim was injured. One of the cell phones was later recovered on the 4500 block of North Lincoln Avenue.
Other incidents in the same timeframe include a rolling shootout resulting in a traffic fatality at Irving Park Road and Western Avenue, plus two other carjackings and an attempted carjacking elsewhere on the north side. None of the carjackings resulted in physical injury to the victims. Details of all the incidents are available online from several local news sources, including www.CWBChicago.com.
What We're Doing
- Roscoe Village Neighbors is reviewing video footage from its Neighborhood On Watch camera system to see if it captured any footage of the assailants involved in the carjacking that occurred near Melrose Street & Hoyne Avenue. We will share any footage with the 19th Police District.
- We ask all residents in the area to similarly review your security camera video to see if, between 10:45 p.m. and 11:04 p.m., you recorded the suspects or any part of the incident. If you did, please immediately notify the 19th District Community Policing Office at 312-744-8320.
- Roscoe Village Neighbors has excellent working relationships with the 19th Police District, its Commander Christopher Papaioannou, and our elected officials including Alderman Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward), Alderman Matt Martin (47th Ward), State Representative Ann Williams (11th District), and State Senator Sara Feigenholtz (6th District). We will be in contact with each of them, as well as U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, about securing necessary funding to restore police staffing in the 19th District, which has fallen by more than 30% over the last 10 years.
- The Neighborhood Watch Committee will be meeting shortly to prepare a list of recommendations for the RVN Board’s review and discussion to further enhance safety in the Village. The Committee is also working with neighboring community groups and city leadership to schedule combined town hall meetings to address recent events. Alderman Martin from the 47th Ward will be hosting a town hall on Tuesday, October 12th at 6:30pm. Registration for the virtual meeting is here. As more events are scheduled, we will update our website and notify our community.
Safety Tips
- Always maintain your situational awareness. Know who is near and around you. Have a plan to remove yourself from any situation that could threaten your safety.
- Do not allow yourself to become distracted by your cell phone or earbuds. Look up often to re-scan your surroundings.
- Crimes often occur in transitional spaces, which include garages and any vehicle not in motion. Look around before approaching your parked vehicle. Scan the area before choosing a parking space. Use extra caution when entering or exiting your vehicle. Exit transitional spaces as quickly as possible. Do not linger in your vehicle. Always check your mirrors before exiting.
- If you are not already in the habit of doing so, be certain to immediately lock your car doors as soon as you enter your vehicle. Locked doors buy you time and time buys you options.
- If you park in a garage, always back in so that, if necessary, you can drive out quickly. Keep your engine running and in “Drive” until your overhead garage door is completely closed.
- Be certain to turn-off your engine and lock your car doors each time you exit your car – even if “just for a few seconds” -- be it at a gas station, convenience store, or your home. Thieves look for opportunities where you have dropped your guard. Don’t give them any.
- Low-speed “bump & robs” are a tactic sometimes deployed by would-be thieves. Should your car be struck in a low-speed collision, assess your surroundings and do not lower your window or exit your vehicle if you feel your safety may be compromised. Instead, dial 911 and alert them of the incident, your location, and your destination. Signal to the other driver to follow you, then proceed directly to the nearest police station or populated public space with your hazard lights activated. If a passenger is with you, have them write down a description of the other vehicle and its license plate number and to snap a photo of the vehicle and its driver/passengers.
To be sure, Roscoe Village and the 19th District are consistently ranked among the very safest neighborhoods and areas of the city. But as FBI statistics confirm, for a multitude of reasons, crime is up across the country. Which is why we encourage all Villagers, wherever you or your loved ones may be travelling, to remember to apply these tips. Not only does strong situational awareness improve physical safety, it also improves your sense of well-being and agency. For further information, or to become more involved in Roscoe Village Neighbors, please visit www.RoscoeVillage.org.
Thank you,
Roscoe Village Neighborhood Watch Committee |
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