During the last two weeks, the DeKalb Police Department has reported two separate incidents of robbery in which the victims were food delivery drivers.

These types of crimes, in the grand scheme of DeKalb’s crimes, make up a very small percentage, said DeKalb police Lt. Jim Kayes.

Delivery drivers are targeted because it is often assumed they will always have money on them, but some companies have drop boxes in their delivery vehicles to deter robbers, Kayes said.

The first victim was a pizza delivery driver robbed at gunpoint at 12:43 a.m. Oct. 12 at the South Tower of University Plaza, 900 Crane Drive.

The driver was unharmed and the suspect fled the scene on foot. An undetermined amount of money was taken.

Police are following a lead and may soon crack that case, Kayes said.

The second incident was an assault and attempted theft at 12:57 a.m. Monday at 832 Crane Drive.

The victim’s business received an order and told the patrons they could not pay with a check due to their history, Kayes said.

When the driver arrived with the food, the patron tried to pay with a check, Kayes said.

The driver refused to sell the food and returned to his car, Kayes said. The patron then chased the delivery driver to his car.

These incidents, however startling it may seem, do not change the way some drivers already do their job.

Keith Shubert, an NIU alumnus and delivery driver for five years for Tom and Jerry’s, 215 W. Lincoln Highway, said he has not personally been a victim of robbery while working.

But there are certain areas in DeKalb that cause him to be more aware of the people he meets with, Shubert said.

A lot of it has to do with how you approach a person, Shubert said. If you give them a vibe of fear, they can tell.

Shubert said he doubts the validity of the delivery driver’s claim of being robbed in University Plaza because it is such a populated area, a place where he has never dealt with any such event.

Another delivery driver, Jeff Cox, of Pizza Pro’s, 928 W. Lincoln Highway, has also never been robbed while on the job.

Cox has only worked at Pizza Pro’s for two months, but he worked as a delivery driver for Jimmy John’s, 1011 W. Hillcrest Drive, for six months.

Even though he’s never been robbed, he is still cautious.

“Sometimes I make sure to roll up my windows and lock my doors when I deliver food,” Cox said.

Cox said the only reason he worries about getting robbed is he would owe the money back to his employer.