Grant Park Security Patrol Update - Friday, December 6th

Grant Park - Friday, December 06, 2013 SAFETY UPDATES Continuing burglary problem on the north side. At 1:30 today one of our GPSP officers responded to a burglary attempt at 300 block of Woodward. The officer was concentrating patrols in the area and was just 2 blocks away. The beat officer arrived 5 minutes later. The homeowner was unloading his car from a closed garage and heard banging at his back door. The door had a kick bar so the door would not break open. The homeowner saw the burglar drive away in a black Ford Ranger tag AHR 4358 (stolen on 11-25 from Highland Ave) The suspect is a black male about 40 years old, 5'10" and about 160 lbs. PLEASE CALL 911 FOR ANY UNRECOGNIZED VEHICLES OR PERSONS IN THE ALLEWAYS. At this recent attempt the truck was parked in the alley. MAIL AND PACKAGE THEFT. Our officers advise against leaving outgoing mail clipped to a mailbox. There have been a few reported thefts of outgoing mail. Officers suspect the criminals are looking for holiday cash, checks and gift cards. If possible have packages shipped to a location where there is a person present to sign and accept them. CARJACKING AT LITTLE FIVE POINTS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR SAFETY. A woman returning to her apartment was carjacked when she was bumped from behind by another vehicle. She exited her car to inspect the damage, was thrown to her ground, and her car was stolen. She had phone and I-pad tracking so the car was recovered and one suspect is in custody. Officers advice: call 911 immediately and explain to the dispatcher what has happened. With a minor accident and no injuries it is acceptable to turn on emergency flashers and proceed to a well lighted, secure location. VEHICLE LARCENIES: Recent larcenies around Memorial Drive; patrons to one of the restaurants stopped for dinner after shopping. They returned 90 minutes later and a window was smashed out and all the packages were taken. Please keep cars clean and conceal all packages in the trunk. A GP resident chased a criminal out of his truck on Saturday at 3AM. The description is a young black male about 5"6" tall wearing a puffy down jacket. The incident occurred on Georgia Ave near Grant Street. Officers located a suspect on Bass Street but he got away. GRANT PARK SECURITY PATROL UPDATE: With the support of the community we now have every day of the week covered. If you are not familiar with GPSP please check the web site:grantparksecuritypatrol.org. We now have a recurring credit card feature for members' convenience. During a 2 or 4 hour shift officers patrol the entire neighborhood, respond to 911 calls, check on vacation/out-of-town requests, concentrate extra coverage in locations that have had recent crimes, and assist victims with any concerns. If you are not a member, please consider this important supplement to APD patrols.