Be Cautious on the Lakefront Path by Belmont: Crime Targeting Cyclists

Has anyone heard about this? 

A robbery crew targeted people along the Lakefront Path near Belmont Harbor yesterday afternoon—repeatedly tossing bikes in front of oncoming bicyclists in an effort to knock people down so they could be robbed according to multiple witnesses and one known victim.

Reports started coming in shortly before 2PM from people along the bike path between Belmont and the landmark totem pole, according to police. All of the reports said that two men on bikes and one man on foot were trying to steal bikes and other property after knocking people down along the lakefront.

Police were unable to locate the offenders, but one man later showed up at Illinois Masonic Medical Center for treatment of injuries that he suffered in an attack at the north end of Belmont Harbor. Officers have categorized the incident as an armed robbery—with the weapon being a bicycle.

Full story:

http://www.cwbchicago.com/2016/06/robbery-crew-targeted-bicyclists-...

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Alex on June 3, 2016 at 3:18am

been feeling awfully negative about riding on the LFP as summertime rolls in, and this just makes it worse!

i wonder if anyone happens to record their rides and was in this area in the afternoon. could help find some faces!

Permalink Reply by V W on June 3, 2016 at 3:52am
That's really brazen to do something like that in broad daylight in such a high people traffic area. I don't bike through this area as much as I used to but I definitely did get the sense before that there are opportunistic lowlifes hanging around looking for their opening. Crime is certainly not limiting itself to the bad neighborhoods.
Permalink Reply by David Barish on June 3, 2016 at 4:01am

Weird. I rarely ride there. Yesterday, I did so twice. Once about 820 am going south and again about 7 pm going north. Just the usual summer hubbub.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on June 3, 2016 at 5:27am

That's an awfully busy and public area to be causing trouble for anything but a flash mob type of robbery.

I hope this isn't going to make life any harder for the tent colonies; they're starting to overflow the underpasses just to the north of Belmont.

Permalink Reply by Joe Guzzardo on June 3, 2016 at 2:44pm

That's part of problem. This morning I saw at least 3 tents just east of that underpass in the park itself. 

I'm a subscriber to the broken windows theory. I was hoping that once we finally got rid of Helen Shiller, things would improve as far as giving indigent people in the 46th ward a free pass. It's inevitable that the gentrification that took place in Cabrini Green will also happen in Uptown, but I've been saying that for well over 30 years now.

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on June 4, 2016 at 6:54am

I highly doubt that these assaults are coming from members of the "camping" community. You're conflating issues.

Permalink Reply by Joe Guzzardo on June 4, 2016 at 8:44am

I didn't say they were. Please read the link I supplied regarding the broken windows theory. The "camping community" is a clear invitation for criminal activity.

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on June 4, 2016 at 10:44am

I am quite familiar with the theory.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on June 7, 2016 at 8:16am

I noticed this morning it's spilling over to Bryn Mawr, now.

Permalink Reply by Josh L. on June 7, 2016 at 3:15pm

Please don't conflate the issues.

These robberies occurred well South of the Wilson tent encampment.

That being said I'll address your cheap shot at Shiller and the indigent.

I live in Uptown and enter the LFP on wilson every day, including through the winter. I've had zero issues with those folks camping under the bridge. I have no reason to think they are criminal and not respectful. In fact if you look you will see that their tents and the areas around them are kept neat. 

This is not to say that I think having people camp under the bridge is a good idea.  It says more about our lack of affordable housing than it does those folks.

Permalink Reply by Steve Fist on June 3, 2016 at 6:35am

The path around castaways and northward has become a sh1tshow past few years.  More and more thugs frequent the area behaving like animals.  Yesterday I came across a group just meandering around North Ave beach openly smoking weed and harassing women runners/bikers/walkers.  I did however see some bike cops stopping and talking with another group.  Its just not worth it anymore to get a quality ride and use the path in nice weather.   

Permalink Reply by V W on June 3, 2016 at 6:58am
Indeed. These same groups will also often to walk shoulder to shoulder blocking a huge chunk of the bikable area.

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