In advance of a busy Halloween weekend, which will feature a parade in Northalsted and a late-night bar crawl on North Clark Street, neighborhood leaders and business owners are calling on the Chicago Police Department to increase patrols, staffing and resources to the area after five kidnappings and armed robberies occurred near Wrigley Field last weekend.

The first abduction happened Saturday in the 3500 block of North Clark Street shortly after midnight, police said. Two other abductions were also reported in a community alert Monday. They happened around midnight and 1 a.m. Sunday in the 3400 block of North Clark Street and the 1100 block of West Addison Street.

A community alert Wednesday night reported two additional abductions and robberies that occurred in the 3600 block of North Clark Street and in the 1100 block of West Addison Street in the early morning hours of Sunday.

In all five cases, two to three men forced the victims into a vehicle — reported to be a gray sedan in the second and third robberies — after approaching them from behind and taking out a gun. The gunmen then drove around the area with the people and dropped them off unharmed after taking their cellphones and wallets.

Police have described the suspects as two to three men, about 5-foot-10 and 6 feet tall, weighing between 150 and 170 pounds, between 25 and 30 years of age and armed with a black handgun.

In the community alert sent Wednesday, police asked residents to be aware of their surroundings and to call 911 with any information about suspicious people and vehicles including license plate information.

Ald. Tom Tunney of the 44th Ward, which includes Lakeview East and Wrigleyville, said this kind of crime is unusual, compared with other violent crimes seen throughout the city. The kidnapped individuals were returned to the area with no physical injuries, but “that doesn’t mean there’s not a lot of mental distress,” Tunney said at a news conference Thursday.

The experience was “traumatic, to say the least,” Tunney said.

Tunney said the incidents appeared to occur in a pattern, as the crimes happened when people were alone, late at night and on an active street. Starting Monday afternoon, after multiple incidents had been initially reported, Tunney said he contacted the police commander of the 19th District, which covers Lakeview and Lincoln Park, for additional information and to request more police presence in the area.

“We have received additional resources as of Monday night, citywide teams that are to be deployed around the Wrigley area,” Tunney said.

Tunney said that while citywide neighborhoods are experiencing reduced police activity, he is requesting a stronger presence in Lakeview East due to the influx of tourists and visitors expected for Halloween and the next few weekends before winter.

The Chicago Police Department said in a statement that it “regularly reviews and adjusts resources to ensure Districts across the city have sufficient staffing.”

“We will have a comprehensive plan in place to maintain public safety citywide during Halloween,” the statement said.

Tunney also said the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce will increase its level of private security, which patrol the streets and alleys.

The use of private security around Wrigley Field and the Wrigleyville entertainment district is not new. But the level of security needed throughout the year is, said Maureen Martino, executive director of the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce. This month, before the string of robberies, the chamber of commerce increased its security budget by about $80,000 to $300,000 to ensure it has security through the end of the year. After a January increase in crime in the area, the chamber deployed its security earlier than they had in previous years, Martino said.

The private security budget is funded by special service area taxes, paid by property owners along the commercial strip. Its presence is meant to deter crime as they cannot apprehend or arrest people, Martino said. They often call 911 to bring officers on the scene. Like Tunney, Martino said she hopes for increased police presence in the area.

“There’s nothing more than we want is to have real patrols from the district to be on foot during the evening and in cars,” Martino said.

Martino hopes that through the rest of the year, there will be a “dedicated entertainment patrol” from the police department. During the summer months and the baseball season, there is active police presence, Martino said. But this year, she expects the area to continue to draw large crowds after Clark Street transforms into a “holiday winter wonderland” for the third time and Wrigley Field opens its ice rink.

But overall Martino maintains that the string of robberies in Wrigleyville is an example of current citywide “pockets of crime.”

“It’s the same story, and nothing’s being done,” Martino said. “At least it’s perceived that nothing’s being done.”

Zach Strauss, owner of Sluggers Bar at 3540 N. Clark St., said he has increased spending on security out of his own pocket. When his employees leave, they do not carry cash, and instead tips are included in their checks. He said that while his private security is able to protect patrons inside, there’s little that can be done on the street.

“The police can only do so much, and there’s not enough police in the city of Chicago, overall,” Strauss said. “And the criminals always seem to be one step in front of the police.”

On Halloween, Strauss said he is planning to not let in customers wearing masks.

John Leydon owns several North Side businesses, including a bar in Wicker Park and a tavern in North Center. He said tourists and travelers ask him about security and safety recommendations daily. In an email, he said that the “good outweighs the bad” but added that “nothing surprises me anymore.”

“When people are being abducted in Wrigleyville, that is a wake-up call that anything is possible,” Leydon stated.

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