Over 300 Looters At Old Orchard Was 'Credible Threat': Police

WILMETTE, IL — More than 100 officers, including members of a suburban SWAT team and command staff from Wilmette and Skokie, assembled at Old Orchard shopping center on the night of May 30 after receiving a "credible threat" of hundreds of looters, the chief of Wilmette police explained.

"Based on intelligence from statewide intelligence center, threats of a widespread rioting and looting were expanding beyond the city of Chicago during the weekend of May 30," Chief Kyle Murphy told the village board Tuesday.

"On Saturday, May 30, we were notified by the Skokie Police Department of intelligence indicating a threat of over 300 looters to target Old Orchard Mall at 12 a.m. on Sunday the 31st," he said, noting the shopping center's proximity to the village. "Such criminal activity can quickly and easily spill into our community."

At the village June 9 board meeting, held via videoconference, Murphy updated trustees and the public on the circumstances that led to the closure of several exit ramps from the Edens Expressway into North Shore communities.

The chief said he drove over to Old Orchard himself and consulted with leaders from the Skokie Police Department, which ordered the periodic closure of exit ramps from Interstate 94 to Old Orchard Road beginning May 30.

Read more: Police Shut Down Edens Expressway Exit Ramps To Deter Looting

The Northern Illinois Police Alarm System, a joint suburban special operations team, was deployed to the village, a Skokie police spokesperson said. Patch has requested information about reports of smash-and-grab burglaries, stolen cars and looting that occurred in the village.

"Given our close proximity to the Old Orchard ramps and the likelihood that their closure could force criminal activity into Wilmette, the closure of Lake Avenue and Skokie off-ramps were a prudent course of action, and one that was then replicated by the communities to the north," Murphy said.

"In addition to the credible threat against Old Orchard Mall on May 31, the next several days brought additional threats, as well as instances of individuals smashing business windows, and groups entering retail locations to commit thefts in Evanston and Skokie stores just a few blocks from our southern border," Murphy said.

"Other communities off the Edens Expressway also experienced these crimes," the chief told trustees. "As such, we were in regular communication with business property owners and determined the best course of action was to place barricades around the larger shopping center parking lots off the expressway to assist in protecting their property."

Read more: Police Block Northbrook Court Entrances Amid Protests

Murphy said his staff had been reassigned to increase visible police presence, which was effective at preventing crimes in the village. He thanked officers and residents for their support.

"Over the course of several days, there were small and large groups of individuals who came through our community with the potential purpose of looting commercial properties," he said. "These individuals were quickly deterred as they were not looking to engage with police and moved out of Wilmette."