West Cook News

GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey said the worsening crime problem in Illinois has caused Oak Park to consider limiting open hours for gas stations.

“The fact that Oak Park is considering preventing gas stations from staying open 24 hours is an indication of just how bad the crime problem is in Illinois,” Bailey said. “Because JB Pritzker has failed to solve these problems at the state level, local government officials are having to take the initiative to solve the problem on their own. Preventing gas stations from staying open 24 hours won’t solve the crime. It is a temporary Band-Aid at best. We need to solve this problem at its source. We need better leadership at the state level, and we need better leaders. The safety of our communities will be one of if not the most important priority for a Darren Bailey administration.”

Oak Park discussed limiting the hours gas stations are allowed to stay open following a spate of late night crimes occurring, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The most infamous incident of overnight crime was at the BP station located at 100 Chicago Ave. in Oak Park where, on June 22 at 1:50 a.m., a pair of siblings wearing ski masks shot to death 18-year-old Jailyn Logan-Bledsoe in a robbery and carjacking.

The alleged killers, both from Chicago, 17-year-old Adrianna Vanzant and 21-year-old Kenneth Elliott are in custody, according to the Chicago Tribune.

In support of such a measure, the Oak Park Police conducted a report showing 21 incidents, including a murder and shots fired overnight at gas stations over a three-year period.

“On May 6, Development Customer Services and the police department provided to the Village board with a memorandum on the 24-hour gas stations, authored by Director Tammie Grossman,” a memo from Interim Police Chief Shatonya Johnson to Village Manager Kevin J. Jackson and the Village board reads. "The memorandum specified that between Jan. 1, 2019 and April 25, 2022, 21 criminal incidents occurred at seven of the eight 24-hour gas stations and 14 of those incidents occurred between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.”

“On June 3, in response to a question from the Village board, the police department completed an updated analysis of violent crime between Jan. 1, 2019, and April 25, 2022 at the eight 24-hour gas stations located in the Village. The analysis found the occurrence of 16 violent offenses at 24-hour gas stations overall. The analysis also found 12 of the 16 violent offenses occurred between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. at only four of the eight 24-hour gas stations, and that four of the 12 violent offenses involved the discharge of a firearm. Three of the four gas stations were identified as having the highest incidence of violent offenses including: Shell at 6129 North Ave.; BP at 100 Chicago Ave. and BP at 520 S. Austin Blvd,” the memo states.

The memo noted 100 Chicago Ave. has the worst record of any location.