Police Warn of Organized Theft Ring Targeting Stores

With the holiday shopping season underway, Chicago police are warning shoppers about a professional theft ring, which it says has targeted stores along Michigan Avenue and in the city’s Lincoln Park neighborhood.

At least ten incidents were reported in just a few days, police said. Second Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins described the rash of thefts as “off the charts” compared to the past.

“The theft ring will enter the store, and before the store even realizes what’s happening, a leader will approach a member and say, ‘if you interfere, we will pepper spray you, punch you or we might shoot you,'” he said.

Shoppers enjoying the first night of the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza appeared to be well-aware of the surge in thefts… NBC5 News