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| Glass repair services at Ald. Tom Tunney’s Ann Sather restaurant today. Inset: Tunney | CWB Chicago reader; File |
While most Chicago burglary victims never see the services of a detective or an evidence technician, 44th Ward Alderman Tom Tunney received luxurious police service after his Ann Sather restaurant was found burglarized at 3415 North Broadway on Sunday.
Remarkably, the exceptional investigative follow-through is happening for a crime in which the alderman lost just $3 plus the cost of a new front door.
Patrol officers responded to the Boystown restaurant after an employee found the front door was broken and the interior “trashed” around 5:30 this morning.
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| Revolucion Steakhouse was also burglarized. | CWB Chicago reader |
But a search of the restaurant revealed that the only thing taken was about $3 in loose change from the employees’ tip jar.
Following standard procedures, responding officers asked to have an evidence technician process the scene. And, also per standard procedure, their request was denied because the site had been “contaminated.”
But about an hour later, an evidence division sergeant learned that the victim in this case was none other than Alderman Tom Tunney, and the original decision to decline technical services was quickly revisited.
“Do you have anybody from 19 or a detective assigned to Ann Sathers’ at 3415 north on Broadway,” the sergeant asked dispatchers, “and, if so, do they need an ET out there to process anything on a follow-up?”
“I’m understanding the scene may have been contaminated,” the sergeant continued, “but I was just informed that detectives are responding anyway…I’m just reaching out.”
Detectives and evidence technicians almost never respond to simple break-ins if the crime scene has been compromised. And when they do respond, the wait times can be excruciating.
Last January, a Boystown man waited more than 24 hours for technicians to show up.
And one Wicker Park burglary victim waited more than three weeks for evidence services.
With burglaries up 41% in Alderman Tunney’s ward last year, we’re sure that there are plenty of constituents—er, we mean victims—who have stories about how the handling of Tunney’s $3 burglary differs from their own experiences.
About 90 minutes after the Ann Sather burglary was discovered, a dog walker called 911 to report that a large window was busted out at the nearby Revolucion Steakhouse, 3443 North Broadway. Indeed, they had been burglarized, too.
Ewww
From the CWB Chicago email:
I live on the 3300 Block of Clifton. My building’s garage was broken in to this last weekend. Apparently that is to be expected in our neighborhood. However, I am writing because the perpetrator decided that it would also be a good idea to defecate in our garage. Sort of his calling card?
Elsewhere
In other recent burglary news:
• A man fled to a third-floor bedroom after a burglar entered his home late Thursday morning in the 1400 block of West Lill. The victim hid in a closet after an unknown man entered through the front door, which had been left unlocked.
• Another burglary attempt was reported nearby just a couple of hours later in the 2700 block of North Racine.
• On January 11th, a neighbor reported seeing someone breaking into a home and a computer sitting near a rear door in the 800 block of West Buckingham at 1:45 p.m. Police confirmed a forcible entry burglary had occurred.
• On January 9th, a resident of the 1200 block of West Waveland found a stranger in their home around 11:15 a.m. The burglar was described as male, black, 18- to 20-years-old, and wearing a blue hoodie.
• Also on the 9th, two apartments were burglarized in the 3900 block of North Pine Grove.
• Another Boystown burglar was spotted in action around noon on January 6th. The offender fled from an apartment in the 800 block of West Cornelia after being confronted by his victim. According to police, the thief was described as male, black, in his late teens or early 20’s dark complected, with bushy hair. He took the victim’s Xbox and PlayStation 4.
Thirteen burglaries were reported in Lakeview through January 11. That’s down from sixteen at the same time last year but up from nine cases in 2015.
Confirmed burglary cases through January 11:
