Crime & Safety
Police Investigate Armed Robberies with Help From Business Surveillance
La Grange residents will continue to see an increased presence and a greater visibility of police officers.
La Grange, IL - No arrests have been made in two armed robberies Jan. 29 and 30 in La Grange and La Grange Park, but law enforcement from both villages are working together on the investigation.
La Grange Chief of Police Renee Strasser said investigators are actively following up on leads, and they’ve also reached out to other agencies in the region to develop suspects.
Strasser said police appreciate the cooperation of the La Grange business community, which has provided the department with “many hours” of video surveillance.
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Police are asking residents to report any suspicious activity and to talk to children about staying alert for danger.
Since the robberies, on-duty officers have spent more time patrolling neighborhoods, and Strasser said residents will continue to see this increased presence and a greater visibility of police in the Central Business District.
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Village President Thomas Livingston said these kinds of crimes don’t happen often in La Grange, but when they do, “this is something that we work with strength and swiftness to address.”
He said the village is fortunate to have additional help on the police force since the passage of the April 2015 referenda.
“We take these things seriously,” Livingston said. “Our preference is to professionally and proactively prevent crime before it occurs. We need to send a message that we are not open for business and criminals will be dealt with aggressively.”
He said the village is in constant contact with residents and businesses, and the lines of communication are open.
On Jan. 29 around 9:15 p.m., two men with guns approached two teenage boys on Cossitt Avenue near Spring Avenue in La Grange, police reported. The men demanded the boys’ money and cell phones.
On Jan. 30 around 8:30 p.m., a similar armed robbery took place at the northeast corner of Brewster and Kensington avenues in La Grange Park. Three men with guns approached four juveniles and demanded their money and cell phones.
No one was injured in either robbery.
Anyone with information about either of these crimes is asked to contact the La Grange Police Department at (708) 579-2333.
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