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| Under a new order, “We Serve And Protect” is being replaced on Chicago Police vehicles with “Overall, Crime Is Down.” No, it’s not true. But it should be. |
It seems that we are not the only “safe” neighborhood that is seeing things change for the worse.
There is one striking difference between how one alderman is addressing a problem and how our alderman has not been handling our problem. The other alderman has a set of nuts does his job and demands protection for his people:
“I see incidents happen out there,” said [Alderman] Fioretti. “I’m alarmed. I still believe we have a lack of police out there to cover the city. We need more police.”
Holy mackerel! He said that and was not struck dead by lightning. Give it a whirl, Alderman Tunney. As you might say, get up Rahm’s butt every single day until we get more cops in the 19th district. Every day, be up the butt until we get the cops we need.
From NBCChicago:
Residents of a condo building in one of Chicago’s most affluent neighborhoods this week sent a letter to police and area aldermen demanding more police protection after a number of violent attacks in the area.
“The area needs cleaning up. It needs police visibility,” reads a portion of the letter written by the head of the Eliot House Condominium Association. Within the last week, at least three people have been attacked near the building, on the 1200 block of North Sandburg Terrace, in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood.
Another doorman working at another building nearby said he’s seen an increase in gang activity with beatings. He and other residents say the area around Clark and Division, with its lavish homes and Gold Coast nightlife, is changing.
“I’m on guard all the time and never used to be,” said Charlotte Brandenburg, an Eliot House resident. “You shouldn’t have to do that in this area.”
With rapes, robberies and other crime in recent years, the Gold Coast Neighborhood Association has since hired a private security team to patrol on weekends.
Alds. Bob Fioretti (2nd) and Brendan Reilly (42nd) were among those who received the Eliot House letter.
“I see incidents happen out there,” said Fioretti. “I’m alarmed. I still believe we have a lack of police out there to cover the city. We need more police.”
Police said they’re investigating the incidents but said that overall crime in the 18th District is down 13 percent from last year. Officials did not reveal specific numbers about the Gold Coast.
Suspect descriptions in the most recent attacks were not available.
The cornerstone, of course, is that after the long report of wildings and a kid being beaten with a hammer in the Jewel parking lot, the police department trots out the “overall crime is down” gag.
Those are the games CPD plays. And that should be criminal.
The day before this NBC report, a CWB reader forwarded another Gold Coast condo board’s email about the problem. We’re publishing the email with identifying information removed.
I’m writing to you regarding some of the major concerns I have with the incidents that took place during the morning hours of Friday, August 2, 2013, which must be addressed immediately. I am the Property Manager for [property]. Our doorman reported that at 1:30am, a young male came into our building’s lobby, telling the doorman that he is being chased.
He stated that he needs to hide in our building and get into the inner lobby to be let upstairs to the floors. The doorman told him that this is private property. He advised him that he needs to leave immediately. He then left our building. Shortly after his departure, he was mugged and violently beaten with a hammer by a group of male attackers in the street in front of the Jewel.
Our doorman had already called the police. An ambulance, the fire department and police cars arrived. [The doorman] reported that these men had clubs, as well as other weapons. That was the first incident.
The second incident occurred at approximately 4:05am. Four of these same males circled our building twice in an old, beat-up, white car. Our doorman was outside in front of the building, to look to see that all was well. They pulled up, stopped and looked at him.
Then, subsequently, they jumped out of the vehicle. They mugged two people who walked by our front entrance to the lobby. The doorman reported that a few others ran onto the scene, throwing punches. People scattered and ran in the direction of the Jewel. The doorman again called the police immediately.
An ambulance arrived. Thereafter, at approximately 4:21am, two of the men came back [and] picked up torn shirts and glasses from the ground from the earlier incident. They then came to the entrance to check out our lobby, as well as the doorman, staring at him through the window.
Our doorman was brave enough to tell them to leave our private property immediately. Then they left. All parties involved, including the person who was injured, seemed to be gang members.
[Identifying information removed]
When the doorman spoke to 911, they asked for his phone number, which he provided. No one ever called him back to see if he was alright. Further, the police never came back to talk to him to find out what he has witnessed. It is a major concern that the police department shows no interest in gathering facts to protect our community.
This is not the first incident that has occurred. Not too long ago, another midnight doorman reported that there was gang activity with beatings at Clark and Goethe.
I am very concerned for all of our residents, their guests and our night staff. I’ve managed the [property] for twenty two years. I have witnessed that the crime has increased tremendously over the past years in the area of Clark and Division. It is specifically bad on the corner by the Mark Twain Hotel and the new 7-11. The corner with Jewel parking lot has become particularly dangerous as well.
There have been many muggings, beatings and break-ins on Clark, LaSalle and in the immediate area.
We always hear in the media how much the Chicago police patrols have increased, including an improvement in the crime. Quite to the contrary, I have found that the crime in this area has actually gotten worse, not better. We have many dog owners in our high rise, who take their pets out during all hours of the night and morning, which cannot be avoided. They are exposed to this unsafe environment, which is very concerning.
I am asking for your assistance, please, in requesting more police presence in the area of Clark and Division…The neighborhood needs much more visibility of the police force in order to protect the community.
Thank you in advance. It is appreciated.
