In keeping with the weekly tradition of discussing handgun related crime in “gun free” Oak Park, IL, I must sadly report that there were 2 armed robberies over the last week:
- A man was walking when an SUV pulled up alongside. A criminal exited the vehicle and displayed a small silver revolver, saying “I saw that money. Let me get that.” The man turned over his wallet, containing $7, and the criminals escaped.
- A resident of the 100 block of S. Kenilworth parked his car and started walking to the rear of his residence when two men walked up to him. One man stood lookout and the other displayed a black pistol and said, “Give me your money.” The man was robbed of his wallet, containing $220 cash, IDs and credit cards, a digital camera and his iPod. His total loss was an estimated $1,070.
Again, we see that criminals aren’t deterred by Oak Park’s handgun ban, which carries a fine of $1,000 to $2,000 and no possibility of jail time. Nor are the criminals deterred by the multiple felony laws that they are breaking by committing armed robbery. Indeed, such criminals are not deterred from committing shootings, pistol whippings, or violent home invasions either. Instead, Oak Park residents are left defenseless against the still-armed criminals, and the citizens who ignore the gun ban and keep a gun for self defense have faced prosecution after shooting an armed criminal in self defense. The handgun ban just doesn’t work.
Luckily, there are reasons to be hopeful that this situation will change. The NRA is suing Oak Park to strike down the likely unconstitutional handgun ban. Three people from Oak Park have also joined the NRA after visiting this website. Whether the handgun ban is struck down by a court, or repealed the way that similar bans in Evanston, Morton Grove, Wilmette, and Winnetka have been repealed, Oak Park residents will hopefully be able to defend themselves, rather than be victims of violent crime.