Jason Erkes says River North is a safe neighborhood, but night life brings crime to the area.
“The late night crowd and intoxication can bring out the worst in people,” he said.
“Crime takes place even in the safest areas, and River North is no exception,” said Erkes who is a marketing executive for Social Sports Agency. But he said crime in River North doesn’t affect his daily life and he takes not extra precautions to stay safe there.
Erkes was one of a handful of people interviewed in an informal street survey on Tuesday in River North.
Most of them said they felt safe in the area, and added that if you take the proper precautions, such as keeping doors locked and being aware of their surroundings at all times, most residents are safe.
According to the Chicago Tribune, between Jan. 25-Feb. 24, there were nine robberies and six batteries in River North, as well as 217 thefts and eight burglaries.
Meanwhile, there were no reports on homicide or arson, the Tribune reported.
During the same period, in Hyde Park there were two robberies and three batteries, as well as 18 thefts and three car thefts, according to the Tribune.
However, the Tribune recently reported more than $100,00 in purses, shoes and clothes were taken from the Saint Laurent Paris store on the 900 block of Rush Street in the early morning Friday. Robbers pulled up in a dark SUV and smashed the front window of the store, according to police.
Phillip Streible, a senior commodities broker, said his comfort level in River North fluctuates with the press coverage and word-of-mouth about crime.
“When I turned on the news Monday morning or am out with friends and they’re informing me that several people were shot or robbed over the weekend, I don’t feel very safe. Other times I don’t hear about it, and my level of comfort rises,” said Streible.
Joe McGreal said he feels safe in River North because of the large police presence. “A lot of the business in this area have security teams and/ or video surveillance. Many criminals are aware of these issues and will not risk getting caught,” he said.
Even though some residents don’t feel crime is high, River North is ranked 39th out of the 77 areas in Chicago in violent crimes, sixth for property crimes and 57th for quality-of-life crimes, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Meanwhile, Hyde Park is ranked 39th out of the 77 areas in Chicago in terms of violent crimes, 62nd for property crimes and 72nd for quality-of-of life crimes, according to the crime section of the Chicago Tribune.
“Its important to take common sense precautions like locking your doors, walking around with other people, being aware of what’s going on around you,” said Erkes.
McGreal said he’s always aware of his surroundings and stays in well-lit, public areas. “I do not use headphones so I can hear what is going on around me and I also occasionally look behind me to make sure no one is walking up on me.”
Residents said they also avoid anything that might draw the attention of thieves.
“I no longer wear nice watches when walking around or expose my cellphone out of my pocket very long and I only have one ear bud in when listening to music, ” said Streible.
River North lies north of the Loop, west of famed Michigan Avenue and south of Chicago Avenue, with the Chicago River as its boundary on the south and the west.
River North has a population of 80,000, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Last month a trio of thieves aged 18-25 snatched several high-end handbags from Bloomingdale’s on Michigan Avenue before fleeing in an SUV that was waiting outside. No one was in custody, and police are still investigating, the Tribune reported.
“Sometimes it takes me longer to get to places because I have to change the routes to avoid concentrated crime areas, and also I’m unable to wear certain personal items like a nice watch,” said Streible.
McGreal said, “I think most crimes that are committed in River North are crimes of opportunity, and If someone is not paying attention they stand out as easy victims.”
“I feel like there has been less crime recently just because I haven’t heard of any big crimes in my direct area,” said Streible. He also sees a lesser police presence within a few blocks from his apartment, making him feel there has been a decrease in crime.
“Crime has gotten better in River North over the past few years, and this is a direct result of the Chicago Police Department working closely with the community and business owners in a group effort to proactively detect and prevent crime,” said McGreal.
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