Chicago police issue crime alert as video shows robbery outside Brighton Park auto shop

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police have released a community alert about 18 armed robberies, including many in the Brighton Park neighborhood.

One of the incidents was caught on surveillance video outside an auto repair shop.

Alderman Ray Lopez is urging anyone with information to come forward to police. It comes as concerns grow over robberies in the city's Brighton Park neighborhood.

Employees of an auto repair shop near 44th Street and Western Avenue said a vendor told them he was robbed outside their business Saturday morning, just before they opened. That's the same corner where another robbery was captured on video earlier this month.

"It's just outrageous to me and we're doing everything we can to put more pressure on CPD, my local districts, asking for more manpower, but crime is like a balloon and if you squeeze here, it expands somewhere else," Alderman Lopez said.

Police said there were at least three other armed robberies in the same area within a three hour period on Saturday. All of them happened blocks apart on 47th Street.

Alderman Lopez said police are trying to identify patterns to see if these are connected.

Chicago police issued an alert about the robbeires in Brighton Park and other neighborhoods, with the robberies taking part in the:

-4100-block of West Washington Ave. on March 24, 2023 at 12:47 a.m.

-2700-block of North Southport Ave. on March 23, 2023 at 8:00 a.m.

-2300-block of South Western Ave. on March 25, 2023 at 6:01 a.m.

-2400-block of West Flournoy Ave. on March 25, 2023 at 5:50 a.m.

-4400-block of South Western Ave. on March 25, 2023 at 05:55 a.m.

-2800-block of West 47th Street on March 25, 2023 between 06:05-06:15 a.m.

-4500-block of South Ashland Ave. on March 25, 2023 at 06:26 a.m.

-4600-block of South McDowell Ave on March 25, 2023 at 06:30 a.m.

-1100-block of West 47th Street on March 25, 2023 at 06:35 a.m.

-600-block of West 47th Street on March 25, 2023 at 06:40 a.m.

-1100-block of West 47th Street on March 25, 2023 at 06:40 a.m.

-4400-block of South Kedzie Ave, on March 26, 2023 at 3:15 p.m.

-2500-block of West 47th St. on March 26, 2023 at 4:05 p.m.

-2900-block of West 38th Place on March 26, 2023 at 4:08 p.m.

-3000-block of West 38th Place on March 26, 2023 at 4:10 p.m.

-500-block of South Kostner Ave. on March 26, 2023 at 10:50 p.m.

-3000-block of North Broadway Ave. on March 27, 2023 at 12:18 a.m.

-500-block of West Surf St. on March 27, 2023 at 12:04 a.m.

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