The Divvy bike-sharing program is popular in the Chicago metro region. It has more than 650 stations with 5,000 bikes. Over 3 million people use the service each year, including armed robbers that accost people late at night to steal their valuables. At least 16 armed robberies have occurred in the last few days. Police are asking for help to capture these robbers.
“I think the whole thing is nuts.” Felicia Davis who works downtown said, “They just get on their bikes and ride away.”
Six robberies took place on June 25, and six more the next day. The majority of the robberies took place in the North Loop.
Fox News:
Police are searching for four males either black, white, or Hispanic between the ages of 15 and 25. They wore dark hooded sweatshirts, dark jeans, and black ski masks.
Police said it is important to be constantly aware of the environment.
Even if you are walking downtown Chicago in the middle of the night, it’s not uncommon to feel safe. The choice of Divvy bicycles has police and the public scratching their head.
Newsbreak:
Both law enforcement officials and the general public are skeptical about these robberies, as they use Divvy bicycles. The Divvy bike is easily identifiable, and it can be tracked. This makes them a good choice for criminals who are looking to remain anonymous. It is important to remember that Divvy bicycles can be rented with a credit card. This may make it difficult to track down criminals based solely on their bike usage.
Also, the robberies must be viewed in context with the recent increase in burglaries and strong-arm thefts that have been occurring in Chicago’s outer neighborhoods. This report, from a local news source, details serious crimes over a period of a week.
CWB Chicago:
A group of men, armed with at least one handgun and a rifle, went on an all-day robbery spree from the Loop to Lincoln Park through the Northwest Side.
In just 11 minutes, a group of thieves robbed eight women in Lincoln Park. They were traveling in a carjacking SUV from Chinatown. A man was charged with hijacking but not with robbing the Lincoln Park victims.
Five businesses, as well as some of their clients, were robbed between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
Lincoln Park was the scene of three more robberies early on Friday morning. Four people were robbed the night before, including a DePaul student.
The major media never covers these crimes. The impact of these crimes on victims is as grave as any other shooting or murder you may read about in local media. The “wave” of crime is here, but Mayor Brandon Johnson and the anti-police movement don’t seem to be paying attention.
They are too busy calling the police “racists.”
