In a bold early morning heist, a group of thieves used an SUV to yank an ATM from its moorings at a Lincoln Park grocery store. The incident, which took place around 4 a.m. on Monday, was part of a rash of similar burglaries across Chicago’s North Side. According to
ABC 7 Chicago
, several individuals smashed the front window of the Go Grocer on West Diversey Parkway, then proceeded to literally drag the ATM away with a chain attached to a red SUV.
As these smash-and-grabs threaten to rapidly become the signature crime of this slice of the city, the police have been hard pressed to catch up. The Go Grocer store, no stranger to the comings and goings of a bustling neighborhood, found its front boarded up in daytime aftermath—the door frame a testament to the violence employed to snatch the cash machine. This location, as recounted by
CBS News Chicago
, is just one amongst several that suffered like fates, with eight similar incidents occurring in less than 24 hours Sunday into Monday.
A warning has been issued by the Chicago Police to local business owners concerning the sweeping ATM thefts. The burglaries have occurred at various times and locations, extending from the 5300 block of North Cumberland Avenue to the 2600 block of North Elston Avenue. Thieves, seen wearing dark clothing, face masks, and gloves, are reported to have used a silver sedan and a dark-colored sedan alongside the red Jeep Cherokee in these crimes. Presently, no suspects are in custody, and the connection between the Diversey Parkway burglary and the other cases has yet to be established by law enforcement officials.
“These incidents typically, if not exclusively, take place after midnight,” Loyola University criminologist and professor Arthur Lurigio was quoted stating to
CBS News Chicago
. He underscored the broader societal impact, noting, “The vulnerability of businesses affects residents’ sense of vulnerability to crime.” Meanwhile, the ATM Security Association has drawn attention to the fact that a significant portion of ATMs are independently owned, with no specific federal jurisdiction to oversee them – a reality that complicates the response to such thefts.
Business owners are caught in a bind, with some opting to remove ATMs from their premises despite the positive effect these machines can have on store foot traffic. David Tente, president of the ATM Security Association, explained the dilemma to
CBS News Chicago
: “If the thefts are very, very common, all of a sudden the insurance company may raise either your rates or deny you coverage for that particular type of theft.” As investigations continue across the city, these burglaries are a striking symbol for the ongoing challenge of maintaining security in Chicago’s commercial corridors.
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