Chicago — A Chicago alderman is asking residents to send in videos and other messages “expressing our communal outrage” about violence in her North Side ward that she can share with Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
“We are increasingly feeling the sting of gun violence and it is unacceptable,” Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th) wrote in an email to her constituents. Silverstein said she had requested an immediate meeting with Lightfoot and Chicago Police Supt. David Brown after a man was shot to death in West Ridge on Sunday night.
Benjamin Lopez, 18, was riding in a car in the 2600 block of West Fitch when someone opened fire on him from another vehicle, according to CPD.
“I am also asking for your help in communicating the urgency of crime in our neighborhood,” said Silverstein.
“Please, think about how crime and violence have affected your life and send me a message,” Silverstein wrote. “It can be a written email, a video message, or any other way you can think of expressing our communal outrage … I will share them with the Mayor directly.”
“We look to our Mayor and Police Superintendent to keep us safe, but I don’t feel safe,” the alderman continued. “We have seen the city draining the local police districts in favor of protecting the downtown area, but I know thousands of local residents who want to be protected too.”
CPD’s Rogers Park (24th) District is staffed by 230 officers this month, according to the Chicago Office of Inspector General. That’s down from 304 officers when Lightfoot took office and down from 234 one year ago.
The two downtown police districts, Near North (18th) and Central (1st), have also lost officers under Lightfoot’s administration, dropping 23% and 16% respectively, according to the OIG.
Silverstein said she hoped the residents’ testimonials would convince Lightfoot to bring more police resources to the area.
Submissions can be sent to Ward50@cityofchicago.org