In a disturbing reflection of Chicago’s rising crime rates, a TV news crew was robbed at gunpoint while covering a story on armed robberies in the city’s West Town area.
This incident only exacerbates concerns over the city’s safety as the number of robberies continues to surge.
Early Monday morning, while preparing to broadcast live about the surge in armed robberies, the crew was approached and robbed in the 1200 block of North Milwaukee.
A Chicago police spokesperson clarified the situation, stating, “A 28-year-old man and a 42-year-old man were outside in the 1200 block of North Milwaukee when a black SUV and a gray sedan pulled up around 4:53 a.m. Three men got out of the vehicles wearing ski masks and displaying guns.”
The attackers took the crew’s personal items and proceeded to steal the station’s camera, according to sources familiar with the incident.
Sadly, this wasn’t an isolated event; another Chicago TV news crew had been robbed earlier this month.
The robbery of the TV crew is just a highly visible symptom of the city’s crime wave.
Earlier that same evening, a woman was carjacked on the same block. Witnesses reported that three men exited a blue sedan around 10:12 p.m. One of the assailants brandished a firearm and commandeered her white Ford Escape.
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According to the latest data from the Chicago Police Department, robbery incidents have risen by 22% this year. Neighborhoods like Humboldt Park, West Town, and Logan Square seem to be particularly impacted. Specifically:
In the Austin (25th) District, which covers the west side of Humboldt Park, there’s been a staggering 107% increase in robberies this year. Furthermore, over the past 28 days, robbery incidents skyrocketed to 322% more than the same period the previous year.
The Shakespeare (14th) District, encompassing areas like Humboldt Park’s eastern part, Logan Square, West Town, Bucktown, Wicker Park, and parts of Avondale, witnessed a 49% jump in robberies. The past month alone showed robbery rates 190% higher than the corresponding period last year.
The Near West (12th) District saw a 54% annual increase in robberies. This district includes parts of West Town, the Near West Side, West Loop, Fulton Market, and Pilsen.
Residents and businesses are on high alert as these frequent holdup sprees have become an alarming norm for the city over the past few months.
As Chicago grapples with this concerning uptick in crime, the incident involving the news crew underscores the urgent need for more robust and effective measures to restore safety and order.
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