CHICAGO — The Rogers Park Police District suffered a flurry of burglaries over a short period in July, according to the Chicago Police Department.
In a five-day stretch from July 14-19, eight burglaries, mostly residential, were reported in the district, according to Chicago Police Department records.
Most of the burglaries happened north of Pratt Boulevard, with only one reported as far south as West Devon Avenue.
The Rogers Park District runs from Howard Street down to Peterson Avenue and from the lakefront to Kedzie Avenue.
The eight burglaries were reported:
• On the 2100 block of West Howard Street on July 14
• On the 1100 block of West Farwell Avenue on July 15
• On the 2100 block of West Birchwood Avenue on July 17
• On the 7500 block of North Winchester Avenue on July 18
• On the 1700 block of West Jonquil Terrace on July 18
• On the 2900 block of West Estes Avenue on July 18
• On the 1500 block of West Jonquil Terrace on July 19, and
• On the 2800 block of West Rosemont Avenue on July 19, according to records.
For more detail on the incidents:
• The July 14 break-in, which happened around 2:20 p.m. on West Howard Street, was the only burglary that did not occur at a residential address.
According to police, the Public Storage building at 2101 W. Howard St. had nine storage units with their locks cut off and missing items. An additional three units had been damage by a bolt cutters and pry tools, but were still locked, police said.
• The next day, July 15, two victims reported that their apartment in the 1100 block of West Farwell Avenue had been broken into around 9:15 a.m. They were missing two guitars and some music equipment, in addition to a small amount of jewelry, a checkbook and a laptop.
Two witnesses at the scene said they had watched a man leave the building by the back door carrying a guitar case and some other items. They had followed him a short distance, telling police he was looking over his shoulder and speeding up his walk until they lost sight of him.
Officers immediately went to Chicago Gold Gallery, a pawn shop at 1236 W. Devon Ave., where the clerk claimed that a man had just been there and tried to sell him two guitars, which he declined. Police searched the area for the man but did not find him.
• The following day, July 16, a woman who lives in the 2100 block of West Birchwood Avenue said she had left town for the day and returned the evening of July 17 to find her back door was opened.
Instead of going inside, she called police and waited. Officers arrived and cleared the apartment before she went inside.
According to her statement, $900 cash was missing from an envelope in her dresser. She told police she had locked her apartment, but officers noted in their report that no damage was done to the locks.
Later, police took three burglary reports on July 18:
• In the first, a woman from the 7500 block of North Winchester Avenue said someone had entered her basement through a side door while she was away. They took $10,000 worth of gold-plated silverware and various household items, according to her statement to police.
• In the next incident, a woman from the 1700 block of West Jonquil Terrace said that during the day, some earrings and a jewelry box containing various items were taken from her apartment.
Police said there were no signs of forced entry at the house, though the woman said she had locked her doors and windows while she was away and that building management was the only other party with keys, according to the report.
• In the third report, a homeowner from the 2900 block of West Estes Avenue said a side door to the house had been forced open and several bedrooms had been ransacked.
The burglary occurred sometime between 1 p.m. and 11 p.m., according to police. The woman stated that some silverware and candlesticks had been left on a kitchen counter as if the thief or thieves had left in a hurry.
Officers noted pry bar marks on the side of the door near the deadbolt, according to the report. Dressers had been thrown open and jewelry boxes were emptied, according to the victim. Multiple other items were reported stolen, including a MacBook computer worth $1,300.
Two more reports came in the next day, July 19, according to police:
• In the first, a victim from the 1500 block of West Jonquil Terrace stated that a front door had been forced open and the apartment was missing four televisions, a Microsoft Xbox console and a flat panel computer monitor.
All of the bedrooms had been rifled and various items were thrown onto the floor, police said.
• The final incident was reported in the 2800 block of West Rosemont Avenue.
In that burglary, a woman said she woke up and found that the back door was wide open. In searching her apartment she realized a computer had been stolen, according to the report.
Prevention tips from Police
The police department in the past has released simple tips for avoiding being burglarized. Most of them center around common sense measures like being sure to lock all doors and windows, which often is enough to deter a thief, particularly in daylight, police say.
Most burglaries happen during daytime hours when people are away at work, police say.
If a burglar simply walks in through an unrestricted entry point, the crime is classified as an unlawful entry. According to police, as many as one-third of burglaries happen this way.
In addition to locking windows, police implore owners and renters to be aware of window air conditioning units that are accessible from the ground, as they can be punched in or pulled through, and the window used for access.
Police also warn building owners and tenants to be careful not to leave any ladders or “stepping stones” outside that can give a thief easy access to a roof or a second-story window, which are less likely to be locked.
Keeping an open dialogue with neighbors and placing security cameras to monitor entrances can be helpful as well, police say.
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