Oak Park Police Investigating Gang Graffiti
Gang-related signs discovered on garages and cars.
Spray painted gang-related graffiti on garages and cars have Oak Park police on the lookout.
Earlier: Graffiti up 70 Percent in Oak Park
Police believe the string of incidents that left property vandalized with red gang signs took place around Feb. 17 or Feb. 18. Here's a look at where the incidents took place:
- The overhead garage door of a home in the 100 block of North Taylor Avenue was defaced between 8:30 p.m. and 2 a.m. Estimated damage was $100.
- The overhead garage door of a home in the 100 block of Wesley Avenue was defaced between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. Estimated damage was $100.
- A Toyota minivan, a Toyota Matrix and a Toyota Prius parked in the rear of an apartment building in the 400 block of South Elmwood Avenue were damaged between 7 p.m. and 6:34 a.m. Total estimated damage was $3,000.
Despite the uptick in reported graffiti in 2011, Oak Park Police Det. Cmdr. LaDon Reynolds said gang-related graffiti is "not a usual occurrence" in Oak Park, adding that "the department is taking this seriously."
Graffiti may be reported by calling the village's hotline at (708) 358-5429. The Village’s Community Relations department provides Graffiti X, a cleaning solution, to property owners free of cost.
Hank Marquardt
10:02 am on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
500 Blk S. Cuyler ... same, red spray paint, garage door. Same time period.
Casey Cora
10:37 am on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Thanks for the comment, Hank. Is it cleaned up yet?
Hank Marquardt
10:39 am on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
I'll look when I get home, it's on my neighbor's garage.
Sherry Weaver
7:40 pm on Monday, February 27, 2012
Saw HUGE gang sign on the wall of Segretti Pharmacy (Lombard side) Entire wall of pink bricks was spray painted with the sign. I hope this is not going to be a problem now that the news just reported that gangs are leaving Chicago and moving to the western suburbs. Don't let these thugs take over Oak Park..........
Chi Guy
11:31 am on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
It's probably a couple of little punks going around doing all of this, as oppose to some sort of invasion... Though it should be treated as an invasion, and the police should clamp down hard on these thugs. The police here do a good job, but what ticks me off is that underage thugs go to the burbs to spread their filth, get caught, and get released with little to no penalty. Their parents obviously aren't going to discipline them... So this gives them the green light to continue, and before we know it, you have a whole new generations of lowlifes destroying society and breeding new gangbangers. There needs to be new solutions for dealing with under age gang members, cause the current solutions are obviously not workings.
Chi Guy
11:35 am on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
It's important not to let the smaller things like this slide. Letting petty crime slide opens the door to much more serious offences.