Burglars are using a new technique to get in an out of retail businesses quickly to commit a burglary. They are using their vehicles to crash through a front window and leave as quickly as possible. Aurora, Oak Brook and Chicago police departments are working together to investigate a number of vehicle vs store burglaries to smash into stores and flee with high-end merchandise.
Aurora Minivan vs Store Burglary: Vehicular Smash and Grab at Salvatore Ferragamo Store http://t.co/EH3blFxFc7 pic.twitter.com/q14YLypQIu
— Arlingtoncards (@Arlingtoncards) November 10, 2014
Aurora police responded about 4:35 a.m. Tuesday, November 4, 2014 to a burglary at the Salvatore Ferragamo Italian shoes and luxury goods store, 1650 Premium Outlet Boulevard. The offenders in the recent Salvatore Ferragamo burglary in Aurora used similar technique compared to a September burglary of a Louis Vuitton store at Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook. They apparently committed the Aurora crime without the benefit of using a police scanner to monitor Aurora police radio communications because Aurora police use a proprietary radio system that can’t be monitored by criminals, concerned neighborhood watch citizens, or the media.
In the recent Aurora burglary at about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, offenders drove a Dodge Caravan minivan into the Salvatore Ferragamo store at the Chicago Premium Outlets Mall in Aurora and escaped with more than $40,000 in purses and luggage with a quick in-and-out criminal operation. At least four offenders got out of the minivan, loaded their stash and then drove off before police arrived, according to police. Damage to the building was estimated at an additional $20,000 loss. The minivan, stolen in Chicago, was abandoned in the Chicago Premium Outlets mall parking lot. The minivan was discovered on Preumium Outlets Boulevard with front-end damage. The offenders were met by a getaway driver in a small, dark-colored sedan, according to a witnessed report from a security guard responding to the activated burglar alarm.
Vehicle vs store burglaries also have occurred at several stores in Chicago, and in the Oak Brook vehicle vs store burglary, eight people wearing masks and gloves entered the Louis Vuitton store after a minivan crashed through the doors at the front of the business at about 4:00 a.m. More than 50 items worth at least $120,000 were removed from the store.
Police urge citizens with information to call Aurora police at 630-256-5500 or Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at 630-892-1000.
IMPORTANT ALERT …
Cardinal Note: As of June 5, 2013 — up to and including the date of this article — police incidents related to the above police agency are not reported in real time or within a prompt time period. Police protecting their realm of investigation and police activity, have chosen to use proprietary radios (scanner incompatible) to withhold their police communications, which were previously open to the public and news media via monitoring of public safety scanning radios — with no known negative results locally.
The delayed knowledge or entirely blacked out knowledge resulting from proprietary police communications may protect certain police operations and investigations, but it also puts the public at risk in situations such as when armed and dangerous offenders are at large and when other similar situations occur, such as when desperate offenders of property crimes are eluding police. In other cases, the delayed or blacked out information inhibits or prohibits the possibility of the public providing early witness accounts before a criminal trail goes cold. Citizens are much more likely to recognize or recall suspicious or criminal activity if they are aware of the criminal incident within minutes or hours of its occurrence. The most serious incident involving dire results would be a trail that is allowed to go cold in the case of child abduction.
The lack of real time information from public police dispatch also weakens an effective neighborhood watch program mostly working to prevent property loss, but also working to prevent possible violent crimes.
Lack of real time information from police dispatch also delays public awareness or eliminates public awareness of general hazards and traffic or other situations in everyday living in an otherwise economically thriving community.
Police have alternate ways to transmit tactical, operational or investigative information, while still keeping their main public dispatch channels open for the best balance of public safety and police safety.
Get updates from The Cardinal CRIME BLOG ‘Plus’ on Facebook. Just ‘LIKE’ the ‘Arlington Cardinal Crime & Forensics’ Page (become a fan of our page). The updates cover all posts in the 24/7 Crime Alerts! and sub-categories. See all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages at Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook …