The Chicago Police Department has issued a community alert to warn citizens of a series of burglaries since Thursday. Thieves, wearing black ski masks and clothing, broke doors and windows to gain access to medical spas around the city. They were also wearing gloves when they broke into the facilities.
Areas Where the Thieves Hit
The thieves broke into at least six medical spas in Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Edgewater, and the Near South Side. The thefts occurred on the following dates and times:
- On Thursday, May 25, at 2 a.m. in the 1900 block of West Wabansia Avenue.
- At 7 a.m. On the 25th in the 1700 block of West North Avenue.
- In the 2300 block of North Broadway Street on May 28 at 2:45 a.m.
- On May 28 at 3:30 a.m. in the 1200 block of North Milwaukee Avenue.
- At 5 a.m. on May 28 in the 2300 block of South Michigan Avenue.
What Was Stolen?
The thieves stole high-end laser machines from all the facilities. People are wondering how the thieves managed to steal from that many facilities and the police have no real description to give. One person on Twitter wrote, “This many incidents and the best description is men wearing black. Talk about privilege…”
CPD has advised medical facilities to add tracking tags to valuable items, including equipment. Additionally, they also suggest these facilities keep copies of their equipment serial numbers in a safe place.
In addition, cash shouldn’t be left in registers. Having secured deposit boxes, along with other security practices, could also deter thieves.
Anyone with information about these crimes is encouraged to call CPD at (312)744-8263. People can also submit a tip from the CPD’s website under TipSubmit (https://home.chicagopolice.org/services/tipsubmit/) Or by calling 311.
By Sheena Robertson
Sources:
NBC 5 Chicago: Thieves Targeting Chicago Medical Facilities in Series of Incidents, Police Say
ABC 7: Burglars target Chicago medical spas, steal high end laser equipment
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Binomialphoto‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Thomas Hawk‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
