I read in the Feb. 24 Wednesday Journal crime section that, during the afternoon of Feb. 21, a woman’s wallet was stolen while she shopped at Jewel-Osco in River Forest. It was clear that the River Forest police had begun an investigation, as the article stated that a credit card was used at a store in Hillside, and that police in both towns had video footage showing four people and a vehicle. Good for the River Forest police!
On Feb. 7 at noon, I had a wallet stolen from my purse near the cash registers at Bed Bath & Beyond in Forest Park. I figured this out later that day based on the timing of credit card charges. The reporting officer reviewed the store’s video and confirmed with me that the man of a male-female couple had his hand in my purse. I have talked with store management or security at stores where my cards were subsequently used, and I have called the Forest Park police to offer a spreadsheet of charges, which happen to map the route of the thieves. Four weeks later, all that I have heard from the Forest Park police is that they have not gotten to my case because they only have three detectives.
This has been very frustrating, as I lost a significant amount of cash, gift cards and other items, and would like to see the thieves caught, hopefully preventing future crimes. Without the credentials of a police officer, I haven’t had access to video footage showing the thieves using my cards. The River Forest police coordinated what seems to have been an immediate response, while a month later it is possibly too late for the Forest Park police to have an impact. One of my conclusions from this experience is that Forest Park appears to have more crime than its police department can handle. And because of the lack of attention to a case that, given my groundwork could have been relatively easy, I am a lot less likely to shop or otherwise do business in Forest Park.
Laura Knitt
Oak Park
