UKRAINIAN VILLAGE — Burglaries are up by 80 percent in Ukrainian Village, according to the latest crime statistics shared at a community police meeting Tuesday.
In an eight-week period between Aug. 5 and Sept. 30, there were 36 reports of burglaries in "Beat 1212", as compared to 20 in the previous eight-week reporting period of June 4 and Aug. 4, said Near West District Sgt. Paris Edwards.
The beat is bordered by Campbell Avenue to the west and Wood Street to the east, Chicago Avenue to the south and Division Street to the north.
Edwards told the seven residents at the gathering in the basement of St. Helen's School, 2347 W. Augusta Blvd., that "a number" of burglaries were considered unlawful entry as opposed to forcible entry, in which case damage to a door or a window sometimes happens.
"They are just walking in," Edwards said, encouraging people to "make sure residences and garages and vehicles" are locked.
A complete analysis of the eight-week period provided by volunteer CAPS facilitator Annette Cabral, who pulled the data from the police's online reports system, showed that 21 of the 36 burglaries were classified as unlawful entry while 15 were forcible entry.
Joining burglary in the top crimes were theft, with 49 instances, and criminal damage to property, which replaced battery in the top three crimes, as there were just 11 reports of battery in the recent period as compared to 19 previously, in the height of summer.
Eight of the 23 reports of criminal damage to property involved cars, while 11 — or nearly one-fifth of the 49 thefts — were of vehicles, with two stolen cars recovered.
There were six robberies between Aug. 5-Sept. 30, as well as one sex offense, in the 900 block of North Leavitt Street.
Police spokesman Officer Michael Sullivan said the sex offense occurred around 4:30 p.m. Aug. 25, when a 30-year-old woman engaged in a conversation with a man on street while on her bike. After the man asked if he could use her washroom, upon entering her home he grabbed her under her skirt and ran off.
Four of the six robberies in the recent period were armed robberies with handguns. One of the six robberies occurred around 4:30 p.m. Sunday in a Burger King restaurant at 2344 W. Chicago Ave.., while another armed robbery happened four days earlier (Sept. 25) on the sidewalk in the 2300 block of West Chicago Avenue.
The other four armed robberies occurred on the 1000 block of North Hoyne Street, the 2100 block of West Thomas Street, the 2300 block of West Augusta Boulevard and the 2100 block of West Chicago Avenue.
Among the highlights of the 29 arrests made by cops were four narcotics arrests (two for marijuana, one for heroin, and one for paraphernalia) and lastly, the arrest of serial armed robber Kent Stubbs, who is now in custody and charged with robbing the West Town Burger King.
Beat 1212 meets at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every even-numbered month in the basement of St. Helen's School at 2347 W. Augusta Blvd. For more information, email CAPS012@chicagopolice.org.
