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Public Safety latest and trends: Violent crime, burglary, robbery, battery bulletins

 

This page brought to you by Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference, its Community Safety focus, and HPKCC's website, www.hydepark.org. Join the Conference!

2005 personal violence and burglary spikes, and background increase, are presented here. (See also Scroll also Kenwood in News of Schools. Updates, analyses from HPKCC board and others : Community Safety. Note- for latest and patterns/analysis visit outside this website-http://hydeparkcrime.blogspot.com.
Visit crime maps and news in 1537- http://1537news.com/1537Crime.php and http://1537news.com/Blotter.php.
And http://www.1537news.com/share/WardHomicide.php (past 360 days)
Visit safety-security.uchicago.edu.

Visit report on HPKCC's April 19, 2010 "Keeping YOU and Your Computer Safe" seminar.

Police District Merger page.

Chicago's new youth curfew went into effect September 18.

New alerts, crimestopping events (Herald now carries the 21st District blotter)

January 9, Monday, 6 pm SHARP. Outdoor Police Roll Call convened by 21st District and Ald. Hairston and UCPD. 57th St. and Ellis Avenue University of Chicago. These are usually short.

In December 2011 Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce announced a $75,000 grant from the Illinis Violence Prevention Authority for prevention and recovery education seminars and support to businesses and their employees throughout the community and preparation of materials for distribution, according to HPCC Executive Director Wallace Goode.

Statement from Alderman William D. Burns regarding the proposed closure of the 21st District.

Ald. Burns and others had a great deal of skepticism and certainly wanted a voice in how the new beats are drawn and how the force of the two districts integrated or kept in place. On Nov. 30, 2011, Ald. Burns said in the Herald he now supports and seeks to make the change work.

"On Oct. 12 of this yer, Mauyor Rahm Emanuel announced his intention to consoledate three police districts to reduce the total number of police districts from thwnty-five to twenty-two. Included in the consolidation plan was the 21st Diostrict which serves the Hyded Park, Kenwood, North Kenwood-Oakland, Douglas and Gap communities. I initially expressed strong reservations regarding the proposal. In the weeks betweenthe mayor's budget address and final council action on the budget, four community meetings were held throughout the ward where the administration and the Chicago Police Department addresed the community on the consolidation plan. As a consequence of those meetings and the commitments made by the administration I decided to offer my support for the plan. These are the following commitments that have been made by the administration:

  1. The 21st District will be converted into a Park district field house for Dunbar Park.
  2. Management of tthe Chicago Police Department wil allow beat oficers and other CPD personnel who currently work in the 21st district to remain in the district - including CAPS beat officers.
  3. The consolidation of the two districts will result in the deployment of twenty additional police officers.
  4. The beats of the newly consolidated 2nd district will be realigned will more efficiently align police resources with people, crime, and public safety concerns.
  5. The Police Department will participate in additional community meetings as the consolidation moves forward next year.

Finally, I have confidence in Superintendent Garry McCarthy's strategies to reduce crime. The Superintendent has a proven track record from both New York City and New Jersey."

Another gunpoint robbery at UC late night Jan. 5. On a day and time "Safe Ride" doesn't operate. An alert was issued.

Serious car break ins and thefts in East Hyde Park (south of 53rd- streets not given). Be careful late at night despite promised increased patrols.

The following is based on an article in the Nov. 29 Maroon and cites UCPD findings and analysis.
What's the pattern in HPK for 2011? Overall crime is down 2% over 2010 but violent crime up 4%. That's 181 crimes through Nov. 16. Still, violent crimes are down 21% from the most recent 5-year running average. 2010 was a record low with 194 total violent crimes. It seems to be largely muggings- many near or on campus that have spiked (plus six homicides, on the edges) but electronics and money thefts have dropped (from 68 to 41) and burglaries are down from 32 to 14 after an up-trend. (These latter two sets weres the most common crimes in 2010.) Bicycle thefts, quite common, have remained steady while damage to bicycles has dropped. Gang activity has increased on the north and southwest edges of UCPD patrol area outside of HPK. Some numbers: theft from motor vehicle 14 (2011) v 15 (2010), theft of wallet-laptop-phone 41 v 68, bufglary 14 v 32, theft of bikes 23 v 21, armed robbery 6 v 3.

New Curfew Ordinance- Starting September 18th, the new curfew ordinance will go into effect. Kids younger than 12 will have to be home by 8:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The curfew for 12 to 16-year-olds will remain 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday

UC warns of street robberies. Since July 26 55th to 57th, Woodlawn to Dorchester.
August 3, Wednesday, 6:30 pm. CAPS 21st District, and UC Police hold a roll call (and possibly refreshments) at Bixler Park, 57th and Kenwood, in light of a rash of robberies partic. after midnight.

A team of robbers commiting an act by 57th and Woodlawn broad daylight Nov. 28 were arrested Nov. 29 for trying it again. UC issued an alert.

Note- three people suspected in November 28-30 robberies were taken into custody. a suspectg was also arrested for a strsign of armed robbersies October 9 and 10.

On the July 16, 2011 homicide at 47th and Woodlawn.

July 16, 2011. A man was shot and reportedly seriously injured Saturday afternoon in a possibly gang-related attack in the Kenwood neighborhood on the South Side. The person died, making it likely the first homicide this year in Hyde Park-Kenwood.At 1:13 p.m. someone shot the 20-year-old man in the 4700 block of South Woodlawn Avenue, according to police News Affairs Officer Veejay Zala.Police said the victim’s condition was serious, but hospital information was not immediately available. Police said that area has been fraught with gang conflicts for the last three or four months, and there is a threat of retaliation after Saturday’s attack. A Prairie District police lieutenant said officers remained on the scene as of 1:30 p.m. Link to original WLS980 and Sun-Times http://www.wlsam.com/Article.asp?id=2238627&spid= http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/07/16/shots-fired-in-kenwood-hit-seriously-wound-man/.
The locale is right within 1/2 mile of KAM Isaiah Israel and President Obamas' home.

Herald coverage July 27, 2011. By Sam Cholke and Mark McGraw

The afternoon shooting death of a 20-year-old man on July 16 has shaken Kenwood residents . It was a highly visible act of violence in the normally safe neighborhood, and residents searched for an appropriate reaction during the following week.

At 1:15 p.m., Tony McCoy was killed in a drive-by shooting in the driveway to his mother's apartment building in the 1100 block of East 47th Street. Many in the neighborhood knew about the Saturday afternoon crime before media descended on the scene. "That death smell, the fresh blood, I almost got sick," sid Larry Lawson after a July 19 meeting with police at his 4829 S. Cottage Grove apartment building. "It's been troubling me ever since the incident." Lawson said he visited the scene between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. July 16 and described drivers stopping along East 47th street to watch detectives collect forensic evidence around McCoy's body, his seven-foot frame partially draped with a sheet.

At the same meeting, Ald. will Burns (4th) described coming across the scene within minutes of teh shooting on his way to 47th Street. "The same risks that you live with are the risks that I live with," Burns told the more than 50 people gathered for the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) meeting. "The idea that someone can be gunned down in our community in broad daylight is unconscionable. Unfortunately, this is not the first time this has happened."

There have been eight violent incidents in the neighborhood this summer that police attribute to gangs. "It has been quiet for a while-- a month at least," 21st District Police Commander Richard Elmer said at the CAPS meeting.

Police are considering McCoy's death gang related. The victim "was a known gang banger," Elmer said, "He was very active in teh gang."

Family members have denied that McCoy as involved with any gangs. "My son wasn't a gang banger and I don't appreciate him being characterized like that," said McCoy's mother, Ms. Cole, who arrived at the CAPS meeting shortly after Elmer's comments. "All our boys are not gang bangers," she said. adding that she thought it was a case of mistaken identity. McCoy's father, Tony McCoy Sr., who is well known in Kenwood adn Hyde Park for organizing basketball tournaments [and is Kenwood Park Supervisor], told the Sun-times that his kid was not involved with gangs.

"I personally feel it was somewhat irrelevant to bring it up at the CAPS meeting," said state Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-13), who was also at the meting and is a longtime friend of Tony McCoy Sr. "That does not lessen the value of his live. The impression I get is it was put out there to allay the fears of the community." Raoul warned that encounters with gang members is not synonymous with an affiliation. "I played basketball growing up. yeah, I played with gang members," Raoul said. "Its' inevitable if you play basketball,." Raoul said he did not personally know the younger McCoy, but praised the father's work at organizing violence prevention activities and basketball tournaments. McCoy, like his father, was a basketball player adn played pick-up games at many of the courts in Kenwood.

McCoy's mother described her only child as studious and ambitious, saying she hoped he would attend Harvard University. McCoy was set to attend Parkland College, a community college in Champaign that many students attend before transferring to the University of Illinois.

A memorial has been erected near the site of the shooting. Neighbors have written messages of mourning and notes of encouragement to the parents. there was a brief disagreement at the CAPS meeting over whether the display sent the wrong signal, glorifying gang membership rather than mourning the victim. Neighbors complained about empty liquor bottles being left on the sidewalk at the memorial. No bottles were present on July 20, but a tequila bottle was left among the stuffed animals on July 21. The handwritten messages all expressed sympathy for the parents' loss.

Police consider the incident gang related, but the neighborhood seems unsure still. Gangs in the neighborhood are often no more than 10 to 15 members and most are based west of Cottage Grove Avenue, according to police.

Kenwood experienced two other homicides this year. There were no homicides in the neighborhood in 2010. Ismail Robinson, 22, was shot and killed in the 5000 block of south Drexel Avenue on April 30. Quintin Turner, 18, was shot and killed in the 800 block of East 46th Street on April 8. A 20-year-old and a 17-year-old also sustained gunshot wounds in what police called a gang related incident.

Gang members no longer publicly display their allegiances through gang colors or other signifiers according to Reginald Weatherly, a tactical officer in the 21st district. "Now it's white T-shirts and blue jeans,," said Commander Elmer. "You call it in and we go there and there are 10 guys dressed like that." Police said they have identified the two groups involved, at a July 21 meeting of the Chicago Police Board that attracted about 100 people. Nearly the entire audience was there to discuss the Kenwood shooting and the board adjourned it official business early to take comments from the audience. "These are criminals we're protecting," said Ken Speller, who came up from his Chatham home for the meeting because of his childhood connection to Hyde Park and Kenwood. "I say 'we' because we're all one degree away from them." At the meeting, police said they were making progress on cases stemming from recent violent incidents. "We do have a handle on this, we have several individuals identified," said First Deputy Superintendent Alfonza Wysinger.


Chicago Tribune August 3 2011. Slayings provide Kenwood Residents. Gunfire called 'rare' by citizens near Obama's Chicago home. By Serna Maria Aniels and Jeremy Gorner.

The article describes the Chicago Police Board meeting at which 150 residents showed up (rare for the Police Board, which finished its regular business early). Concern was expressed about 4 homicides in three months (and more at a larger distance). Police Board member and Kenwood resident Ghian Foreman grew emotional and said he did not want his daughter to grow up immune to the sound of gunshots. There were three homicides in 2008 and 2009 combined and none in 2010 in the area.

The Police no. 2 official al Wysinger blamed the outbreak on two gangs on the make, Young Money and 46 Terror Town, but residents were highly skeptical about a connection of the most recent victim to gangs, citing evidence. Many of the attendees were said to openly scoff at several responses by police and said to want a plan of action.

The article described the anti-violence work of the most recent victim's father, Anthony McCoy, Sr.

 

Alderman Burns e-mailed + as in July 27 2011 Herald:

Dear Friends,

As many of you know, there was a tragic incident this past Saturday afternoon in Kenwood. A young man, Tony McCoy Jr. was gunned down on 47th Street between Woodlawn and Greenwood. The crime was as jarring and traumatic event for the entire community. I have requested additional police presence - both from the Chicago Police Department and the University of Chicago Police - in the Kenwood-Oakland area. We must all work together to put an end to the senseless violence. If anyone has any information regarding the shooting, please report it to the police immediately.

My thoughts and prayers are with the McCoy family, and I am deeply saddened for their loss.

In response to this crime the officers of the 21st District and the University of Chicago Police Department held a roll call at the same corner Tuesday evening. Roll calls, in and of themselves, will not bring the perpetrators to justice, but they send a powerful signal that law enforcement and community members are opposed to crime and violence.

Later that evening, Commander Richard Elmer of the Chicago Police Department and Commander Michael Owens of the University of Chicago Police Department attended the CAPS beat meeting to respond to community concerns about the shooting and to share ideas to reduce crime and violence in our community. I greatly appreciate their participation in Tuesday’s meeting.

On the afternoon of the shooting, I contacted the Deputy Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department to request additional manpower for the 21st and 2nd District to aggressively investigate this crime.

The good news is that our ward has more officers walking the beat and patrolling the streets. As Mayor Rahm Emanuel increases manpower in the Department I will continue to advocate for additional resources for our community.

I am working closely with the appropriate city agencies to trim trees and repair street lights - two strategies that will make our community safer.

Wednesday I met with law enforcement and building managers in Kenwood to deepen cooperation and coordination and to reiterate my strong support for aggressive enforcement of leases to ensure that apartment buildings do not become bases for criminal activity.

But, as residents of the community there are things that we can do to enhance public safety. We should participate in CAPS meetings to share information with the beat officers. When we call 911 we must provide as much information as possible about criminal activity.

The University of Chicago Police Department patrols much of the ward, and I encourage you to call UCPD at 773.702.8181 to report criminal activity. For those who are concerned about sharing information with police, anonymous information can always be sent to my office and we can pass it along to law enforcement.

The 4th Ward has changed dramatically since the early 1990s. We are working to build and sustain a diverse and vibrant community. As we work together to build retail developments on 53rd Street and 47th Street, as we repair our streets, sidewalks and lights, and as we grapple together to address's crime and violence -- I see the community that I wanted to be a part of when my wife and I bought our home here nearly a decade ago.

State Senator Kwame Raoul. In Herald of July 27 2011. How Springfield responds to crimes

This past week I was saddened to hear of the news of the senseless murder of Tony McCoy, Jr. The college-bound young man was brutally gunned down in broad daylight in Kenwood on an early Saturday afternoon. While this is just one of numerous murders and violent crimes in the area, what makes this worse is that the victim is th son of Tony McCoy Sr., a Chicago Park District supervisor assigned to Kenwood Park, who has dedicated his life to mentoring young people through sports via a not-for-profit organization he started.

Tony is a personal friend and I have benefited from Tony's leadership a my son has participated in a basketball league organized by tony at the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club. My thoughts and prayers go out to the McCoy family. At a CAPS meeting last week it was asked what are state legislators doing about the crime via legislation and funding for alternatives for young people who may otherwise be recruited into gang activity. First off, last week the governor signed Senate Bill 1739, which I introduced and successfully carried in the senate this past session working with the Chicago Police Department and the Cook County State's Attorney's Office The new law aims to help break the code of silence by making it an offense to intimidate citizen who reports information about a forcible felony to a law enforcement agency. Too often, individuals do not come forward with information about crime because of fear of gang intimidation and retaliation. This new law, effective Jan. 1, will help protect citizens who come forward and encourage them to share information and cooperate with law enforcement. As indicated at teh CAPS meeting, we need all of the community to feel secure enough to cooperate with law enforcement in order to reverse this crime trend in Hyde Park and surrounding neighborhoods. I have always supported and will continue to support programs aimed to provide recreational activity, educational support programs and job training opportunities for young people. I have gone beyond seeking resources, and I have personally been active in several of these programs. I am currently trying to work with the governor's office and the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority to seek resources for public safety initiatives which I believe also includes providing alternatives to crime. While I will continue in my effort to secure scarce state resources, we as a community must come together and pick up the slack and support the many programs that do exist in our community.


______________________

A traffic accident resulted in one dead and two severely injured Thursday evening July 21- attempted turn from Cornell Dr. onto Midway Plaisance - control lost and crashed into tree.

The Police Blotter for the 21st District for the week of June 30-July 9 was VERY full, and so was the next.

The University of Chicago
July 6, 2011

Security Alert

8:00 a.m., Wednesday, July 6 –

In the alley between Woodlawn and Kimbark just south of 57th Street – A University student walking south in the alley was approached by two unknown males who got out of an older model white car. One of the suspects pointed a handgun at the victim and demanded his property. One suspect searched the victim and took cash and a cell phone from his pockets while the other suspect took his back pack. The suspects fled south in the alley. The victim was not injured.

Shooting in overcrowded mob seen at 57th near LSD Memorial Day. Changes in police deployment played a role in enabling police to beef up lakefront patrol this summer 2011. For example, 5 sergeants and 40 officers were added to the 3rd District.

Assaults - robberies continue in the vicinity of 47th Cottage Grove and adjoining north-south streets around and north of Cottage Grove and 61st south.

Ald. Newsome on the violence in the north sector. Almost all are targeted and gang related. Many have fanned false rumors. Citizens have to report, even when their relatives and friends are the perpetrators, she said. Building owners have to stop turning a deaf ear about their tenants or openly abetting, an neighbors have to pressure them and also not abandon the streets to the criminals.

January 2011. Armed robberies between 47th and 55th, Drexel to Dorchester.

In spring of 2011 there has been a spike of violence in the neighborhoods north of 47th, both sides of Cottage Grove. Clergy and block clubs are considering ways to give youth worthwhile ways to spend their time.

_______________________________

University of Chicago Police procedures were criticized in a Independent Review Committee report on an incident at the Library February 2010. "The UCD must make improving its investigative procedures a priority going forward," the Herald quotes. This was a situation, the report says, involving escalation until an arrest-- and a record for the arrestee-- is unavoidable. Recommendations are included, some of which are already being implemented.

Hyde Park Herald, April 14, 2010. HP-K CC announces seminar on security issues

The security committee of the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference is hosting a free Internet security seminar on April 24 to answer the community's questions about online protection strategies.

"So many people have questions about identity theft, pop ups and what to do if they get scammed," said Camille hamilton Doyle, security committee chairwoman. "They are also interested in learning how to build blogs, tweet, e-mail and text."

The seminar will take place from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. at Kenwood Academy High School, 5015 S. Blackstone Ave., in the little theater. To R.S.V.P email rbuchner@hydeparksystems.com. [Note- it is OK to come without RSVP.]

Some serious incidents occurred in September 2009. These included a pattern of attacks and robberies by groups of teens by/at the 59th St. Metra station, including in afternoons. Perpetrators of this incident have been caught.

Random attacks occur such as near/on 55th and Everett, often from cars.

61st St. continues to have frequent holdups and shootings.

A woman was robbed outside the Citibank at U of C Hospitals after a major withdrawal. Always bring someone with you when you make such.

May 7 2009, the University announced that Marlon Lynch, the recently-appointed director of Safety (and over Transportation and Parking) wil assume direction of the University Police (to move to 60th and Drexel in June), while Rudy Nimocks, currently police head, will become Director of Community Partnerships. Details in University News Releases.

Rudy Nimocks trades in Police duties for directorship of community partnerships. Marlon Lynch assumes UCPD directorship/chiefdom under Public Safety and Security

As a part of these ongoing changes, Robert Mason moves from being exec. dir. of South East Chicago Commission into a new section of University Police that tracks and analyzes crime patterns on the mid South Side. The University has taken over the Medical Center security force. The new Communications Center opens in this fall.

More in University News releases.

Chicago Maroon, May 8 2009. By Asher Klein

Rudy Nimocks, chief of the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) for the past 20 years, stepped down today to fill his new role as the first director of community partnerships. the appointment was announced by Ann Marie Lipinski, vice president for civic engagement, in an e-mail to the University community Thursday.

Marlon Lynch, associate vice president for safety and security in Lipinski's office, took up the position of chief of the University of Chicago Police as part of his duties, which also include coordinating operations between UCPD, transportation and parking, and security services. Lynch said he feels comfortable in both roles because he served a similar position at Vanderbilt University, where he worked until February of this year, and because he has a background in municipal and campus law enforcement. "I'm looking forward to it," Lynch said. "I'm excited to utilize Rudy Nimocks as a resource and to get started."

Nimocks explained his duties as director of community partnerships are similar to a role he had to play as chief of police. "I think community outreach is part and parcel of our contemporary law enforcement scene," he said.

Nimocks is active in a number of Hyde Park institutions, sitting on the steering committee for the New Communities Program in Woodlawn and the board of Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Organization. He was the last chair of the board of Blue Gargoyle, a non-profit that ran family literacy programs adn provided job counseling before it closed due to financial constraints last month. "The people that are engaged in community leadership or who are community leaders are people that I know well, and I'm excited to get to work with them more," Nimocks said.

Lynch, in his new role, has already started work on mitigating a recent rash of shootings south of the Midway. "The Chicago Police department has actually allocated additional staff to work in the areas," Lynch said. "UCPD is an active member of the task force that has been specifically activated with the violence that has been going on in Woodlawn."

Nimocks, who spent 33 years in the city police department before becoming the UCPD chief, remarked on what he was proudest of accomplishing at the University. "I've made a significant contribution toward professionalizing the UPCD," he said. "We have a sterling reputation with the Chicago Police Department and a terrific collaborative relationship with them, notwithstanding the reputation we have with the community we serve." That reputation is based in part on falling crime numbers, including a drop of 36 percent last year, "an extraordinary achievement anywhere in this country," Nimocks said.

Having lived in Woodlawn since 1952, Nimocks developed close ties to the area, as a resident as well as a law enforcement officer. "Hyde Park is a unique neighborhood, to say the least, and there are some nuances that you have to learn about [as chief of police]," Nimocks said. He added that Hyde Parker are more active in policing than those of any other neighborhood. "We wil find that as [Lynch] goes along, he's a bright young man and I'm sure he's up to the task."

While Nimocks did not impart any advice on his successor, he did reiterate the importance of connecting to the community. "If you can involve a law enforcement official [ in community outreach], it definitely gives him a better insight into the things that are being done, can be done, and gives him a better vision of how a police agency can fit in and make a meaningful contribution to the community," Nimocks said.

Added the Herald May 13: Lynch said he would increase the number of officers out interacting with the community on a regular basis. Lynch said the department would continue to update technology in the department, such as laptops in patrol cars so officers spend less time writing reports and more time out in the neighborhood. Lynch will have a full plate, overseeing transportation and parking operations in addition to the university police, Nimocks said. "If he gets competent people reporting to him, it can be done," Nimocks said.

Beware of a scam whereby someone sends a check for subletting and apartment-- for more than the deposit and expecting you to wire them the "excess."!!!!!! Another scam has people soliciting on the street supposedly for the Neighborhood Club. Other scams including telling someone to withdraw bank funds as part of an "investigation" of bank employees, telling people to send a processing fee to claim their "winnings", posing as from a utility company or the city to perform "work". What to do rather than ignore or hang up? Ask for return number or show id, check 311 for work being done in the area and report to 311, notify the bank or purported utility, never agree to meet anyone anywhere or send any money. Area One Detectives- 312 747-8382.

U of C Security Alert, April 6 2009- and where to comment or report what you know or give/get new information.

The University of Chicago. April 6, 2009. Security Alert At 5:05 p.m.,
Thursday, April 2- A man, 18, standing on the sidewalk with several acquaintances on Cottage Grove Avenue between 61st and 62nd Street was fatally shot by an unknown assailant.
At 8:50 p.m., Friday, April 3 - A woman, 18, her male companion, 18, and a one year-old child in a car stopped at a traffic signal at 61st and Cottage Grove were shot at by the unknown occupants of a white, 4-door Pontiac Grand Am that pulled up next to their car. The shot shattered the rear door window, but no one was injured.
At 12:40 a.m., Saturday, April 4 - A man, 28, was fatally shot in the street near his residence, just south of the UCPD patrol area, on Ingleside between 64th and 65th Street.

Police are seeking suspects in all three cases at this time. Police believe at least two of the cases are gang-related. The Chicago Police and the University of Chicago Police are working with a variety of city and community resources in an effort to address this gang-related violence. There is collaborative planning and deployment of Chicago and UCPD patrol units supported by specialized units of the Chicago Police Department. UCPD and CPD are expanding a Safe Passage Program for school children. Active support in the community is being supplied by Alderman Willie Cochran (20th Ward), The Apostolic Church of God, the Cease Fire Organization, The Woodlawn Organization, The Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corp., and The Woodlawn New Communities Program. Every resource available to the police and the community is being implemented in order to reduce the community risk and apprehend the perpetrators. In the meantime, please use caution. Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to use the Safe Ride service, University bus system, or UCPD Umbrella service. Information is available on line at http://www.uchicago.edu/safety/.

Rudolph E. Nimocks, Chief, University of Chicago Police Department.

Into summer 2009 serious incidents, mostly shootings, continued in Woodlawn, between 61st and 634s, Kimbark and Cottage Grove. Both Chicago and UC police have increased activity in the area.
In early June a lady was strangled in her home in the 5400 block of Ellis and there was a drive by shooting of two men by 56th and Everett.

Once again, people were taken advantage of by persons posing at the door as utility company employees. Always ask for ID before letting anyone in.

First three months 2009 violent crimes in HPK. 52 v. 61 too8, 51, 2007. Recent peak- 2005 (90), 2001- 86. Ten-year average about 70. 4 -year about 63. All-time modern- 1997- 116. Our district is usually about 5th to 7th best but is internally very uneven. HPK fares favorably to comparable neighborhoods; areas that do better are bungalow/ranch belts such as between Jefferson Park and O'Hare.

In February 2009, the Herald learned that the 21st District will no longer give out blotter information to the public!! They are trying to get it from central headquarters.

Early 2009: In one of what one might call one the most extreme examples of antisocial and venal depravity seen in our neighborhood in a while, a Hyde Park resident charged with raping two women, one at Madison Park in Kenwood and another in Woodlawn, is now charged with soliciting another (undercover agents) for hire to rape and murder the victims to keep them form testifying.

There is a bill in the state senate to make reportage of police misconduct more difficult- any report with "inaccuracies" would be sent to the state's attorney's office for prosecution for perjury. Meanwhile, senators are seeking a torture commission to take testimony on the Burge matter.

2008 recap. SECC: crime down in Hyde Park in 2008. Hyde Park Herald, January 7, 2008. By Kate Hawley

Crime rates plummeted in Hyde Park for the first 11 1/2 months of 2008 compared to the same period a year earlier, reflecting a decades-long decline. Violent crime dropped nearly 20 percent, to 233 incidents in 2008 from 291 incidents in 29007, according to statistics prepared by Bob Mason of the South East Chicago Commission, which tracks crime for the University of Chicago using Chicago Police data. Violent crimes included murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault and battery.

"Robberies drove violent crime in the neighborhood," Mason said. Still, robberies dropped nearly 25 percent during the period from Jan. 1 through dec. 17, to 161 in 2008, down from 214 in 2007. The other categories of violent crime showed declines during that period as well: aggravated criminal sexual assault was down 50 percent, to three incidents from six incidents, and aggravated battery and sexual assault were down 5.7 percent, to 66 incident from 60 incidents.

However, murders went up slightly, with three in 2008 compared with one in 2007. The November 2007 shooting death of Amadou Cisse, a 29-year-old-university of Chicago graduate student, prompted increased security on the University of Chicago campus and around the Hyde Park neighborhood that Mason said may have contributed to the overall decline in crime.

The university has added more than 300 emergency phones; hired eight new security coordinators, unarmed uniformed staff who patrol mostly on foot and bicycle; enlarged new bus routes.

The 21st Police District, which includes the University of Chicago and the rest of Hyde Park, also benefits from coverage by both university and city police departments, Mason pointed out. And the rising fortunes of the surrounding Bronzeville and Woodlawn communities has benefited Hyde Par. "We're not and island here," he said.

Property crime also dropped dramatically: 25 percent, to 979 incidents in 2008 from 1312 incidents in 2007. Those data were culled from the period from Jan. 1 to Dec. 24. Property crime includes burglaries, property thefts and auto thefts. Each of these categories saw declines: burglaries were down 30 percent, thefts were down 23 percent and auto thefts were down 30 percent, Mason said.

All crime data was collected from an area running from 47th to 61st streets and from Cottage Grove Avenue to Lake Michigan. Top


Maroon January 9, 2009- Despite rise in Chicago crime, area statistics show improvement. By Asher Klein

Crime is down in Hyde Park and Kenwood for the second year in a row even as it increase throughout Chicago, according to statistics gathered by the Universality of Chicago Police (UCPD). The UCPD's preliminary numbers indicate that there was a 22-percent decrease in violent crime from 2007, itself a low-crime year. The UCPD patrol an area from 47th Street to East 61st Street and from Cottage Grove Avenue to the lake. [Actually 39th to 64th, Cottage Grove to Jackson and Burnham Parks].

these number are echoed in other reports, including those of the Chicago Police Department and the South east Chicago Commission (SECC), and organization dedicated to tacking crime in the area. "We have seen a dramatic drop in the numbers, exceptionally low," said Bob Richards of the SECC. The organization's website [http://www.hydeparkchicago.org] indicates that by the end of 2007, total crime was down 31%. Richards anticipates that the 2008 numbers will show a continuation of the trend. "Obviously, we're not getting the criminal activity out on the street, and we're not seeing the aggravated batteries," he said.

Robert Mason, a UCPD spokesman, said that the UCPD played "a significant role" in the decreases in crime. Mason cited last year's death of graduate student Amadou Cisse as a turning point for the University's investment in security. "This past year, the initiatives taken to protect students, faculty, and staff with SafeRide vans added to bus routes and with University police department, we've added eight new people... unarmed police officers that patrol the streets."

Richards did not credit any one factor as being integral to the drop in crime. "The police have diligently been out there, the bad weather and all sorts of things [could also have affected crime]," he said.

Despite the improved statistics, crime is still an issue in the area. There have been several serious crimes in recent weeks, including a murder, a rape, and a string of robberies.

According to data on the City of Chicago website, crime in 2008 was down in the University's district, District 21, by 2.5 percent over 2007, from the period from January to August. Since crime in District 21 dropped less than three percent--despite having dropped over 20 percent in the area that the UCPC supervises--it would appear that crime in the rest of the district, Bronzeville has increased. This is in line with the citywide trend, which has seen a 2.9 percent rise in crime in the same period of time.

But are we encouraging lack of safety by cocooning students in buses-- "Bus disservice" as Maroon (January 9 2009) writer Arieh Smith asserts- "by decreasing foot traffic in the neighborhood, students hurt community, selves"

Why does Hyde Park scare you? You might think it doesn't scare you in the first place, but if you aren't willing to walk to Walgreens at 3 a.m. alone, I would guess that it probably does, at least on some level. the crucial question, then, is why. It think that there are two important factors here.

The first is race. The lengths to which some people will go to avoid discussing this incredibly obvious phenomenon are pretty remarkable. We cannot skirt the obvious. Some students are afraid of black people. In an article published in the Maroon in October, Angela Bailey, a student at the University's School of Social Administration, is reported as saying that she wanted to begin a campaign to create a safer hyde Park. She received several responses from people "basically saying they're afraid of people of color." But that's their problem: Black people aren't going anywhere anytime soon. If we are to make students feel safer, we'll have to look elsewhere.

Race is, I think, a lesser issue. Mostly, it's the lack of foot traffic. Hyde Park seem desolate nearly all the time. I regularly walk back and forth between Broadview and the University; though I vary my route, there are often few or no people within a block of me. Why is there so little foot traffic in Hyde Park?

Brian Shaw, the University's director of transportation and parking, told me that foot traffic is "primarily a condition oft he [population] density in the neighborhood," and that Hyde Park is "far less" dense than the rest of Chicago*. And Bob Mason of the University Police seems to agree. he says that m any of Hyde Park's streets are "nearly deserted" at night, and while he concedes that more people "keep the street safer," he argues that providing free buses and shuttles is the best way to help students. (Mason also adds that violent crime decreased in 2008. However, because so many other policies designed to improve safety have been implemented, and because total violent crime has been steadily decreasing in Hyde Park-South Kenwood since 1996, it is exceedingly difficult to say anything about the effect of busing on crime in Hyde Park without very careful statistical analysis.) [*statistical backing not shown-- low relative density more likely true of Lakefront from the Loop north than the city as a whole.]

He's absolutely right, of course. But it's important to realize something here" Buses and shuttles are, in Bailey's words, only "Band-Aids" and do not address the principal concern. They make students safer but they certainly do not make the neighborhood safer. In fact, I'd like to suggest that they do the reverse. Buses and shuttle serve to lower the foot traffic in Hyde Park. When a bus packed like a can of sardines departs from the University for the Shoreland with dozens of people onboard, it removes these people from the streets. Ask yourselves why campus feels so safe. The answer is that it's flooded with people-- only very rarely are you alone. If those people were patrolling the entire Hyde Park area, then things would undoubtedly feel much nicer. Hyde Park is indeed less densely populated than other neighborhoods, but because there are students being force to walk around, campus normally feels quite safe.

the University likes to talk about expanding bus service, but doing so only partially exempts students from a genuine problem. It induces a terrible sort of apathy. To us, the University is a safe, idealized plane of existence isolated from some nightmarishly chthonic neighborhood--the less we have to walk, the better. We really couldn't care less about how the neighborhood's faring because we're not in the neighborhood.

This is no way to live. Here's what I suggest: Improve the safety fo the neighborhood by getting rid of the daytime shuttles and making people pay for the 171. If people had to walk from campus to their dorms, there would be more foot traffic and consequently more neighborhood safety. (I don't enjoy using the work "had" here; we have a "choice" only because of handsome CTA subsidies. No one would be "forced" to walk--this kind of "have" is the "have"of having to work for a living, of having to make real choices and confront real trade-offs) Student will also be forced to confront the issue of neighborhood safety. In effect, they will be force to care.

"Oh, come on," you cry. "The only thing that"ll lead to is more students being mugged." Maybe, but the increase will be commensurate with an increase in foot traffic; i.e. it could be that for every additional student mugged, one potential mugger will be scared away by passersby. Crime is not as severe in Hyde Park as it is in other neighborhoods, but increasing foot traffic will always perceptibly increase safety.

But what if my ratio's incorrect? What if the ratio of muggings cause to muggings prevented is actually 2:1? Understand that the University would surely save a bundle of money, which is could spend on giving financial incentives to businesses to stay open late. This would improve safety stilt further--it would reinforce the desire of students to walk, and walking would reinforce the desire of businesses to stay open late. Hopefully, the incentives would induce a cascading wave of safety that would ultimately result in an ability to venture out to Walgreens at night. (It'd make students fitter and the 171 significantly less crowded, too.) Busing only insulates students from the problem while making it worse. Top

UC in January 2009 picks vice president and director for new Safety and Transportation Department

The following was also announced to the board of HPKCC by Vice President Anne-Marie Lipinski and sent out in a general email.
Chicago Maroon, January 9, 2009. B y Michael Lipkin

Vanderbilt University chief of police Marlon Lynch will head a newly created U of C department to coordinate the University's police and transportation services, starting February 2. Vice President for Civic Engagement Anne-Marie Lipinski, who announced the hire in an e-mail to the community yesterday, will oversee the new Safety and Security Department. Lynch will supervise the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) and Campus transportation and Parking services, and will look for ways to streamline administrative organization between the two. He wil also be responsible for enhancing the capabilities of the UCPD through advanced training and new technologies. Lynch and Lipinski were unavailable for comment.

The department was created in response to recommendations by the Campus Safety and Security Committee, itself created soon after graduate student Amadou Cisse was murdered last fall. The search to fill Lynch's position has been ongoing since last May. "We did a national search and from that search we had over 120 applicants for the position," Associate Vice President for Civic Engagement Sonya Malunda said. "Marlon really jumped out because of his poise, his communication skills, his previous work in both law enforcement and transportation, his ability to bring a diverse set of operations under one unit, and his ability to be a great team player."

The administration convened a five-student committee to help interview the final three candidates last quarter. Lynch, a native Chicagoan, impressed committee member and fourth-year College Council representative Kati Proctor. "I was looking for the candidates' willingness to work with students when they were concocting new policies because they're in charge of so many things that affect student," she said. "They were all proactive, but [Lynch] knows the beat of Chicago, knows what it's like here.

Faced with a field of compelling candidates, the student committee was not unanimously in favor of Lynch. One student committee member said he recommended the University choose Dexter Yarbrough, chief of police at Colorado State University. "[Yarbrough] had a plan to get the community more involved in the surrounding neighborhood where the crime comes from. He had a good understanding of the crime problem here," second-year Ian Chase said. "But I can see why the University hired [Lynch]. They were both good at communicating with the students."

Lynch began his career in 1993 as a police officer in Okemos, MI. He soon served in a series of command positions in several southern university police departments, including the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Southern Methodist University, and Vanderbilt.

Lynch has both a bachelor's and a master's degree in criminal justice, and is a graduate of the FBI national academy and the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. He is also an associated at Margolis Healy and associates, a campus safety consulting firm. Top

A rare homicide, but not a rare location for trouble: December 16, 2008, near midnight, Cydrell Bragg of the 8000 block of S. Morgan dies of multiple gunshot wounds. He approached a group by Falcon Inn in the 1600 block of E. 53rd, an argument broke out with shotgun(s?) fired. This was presumed to be gang and turf related and there had been surveillance. Concern has been expressed by HPKCC board members about perceived under reporting in the Herald and University.

February 16, 2009 there was a sexual assault attempt in the 1000 block of E. 59th St. , east of Ellis. Police were there. immediately, but the perpetrator was gone. The offender is described at white or Hispanic, olive complexioned, with bushy hair, 5' 10" to 6' 2", 150-160 pounds.

Half of the assaults reported in one week in mid November 2008 were committed by women- check your assumptions about who's "safe" at the door.

Smash and burgles reported along business strips usually late Sunday night.

Beat 2132 had 24s incident in September 2008, 614 over the past year.

Counterfeit bills including "$100s" are being circulated. One bill ID'd as fake by Secret Service although passing tests!!!!! was presented by 2 apparently from Africa or, in their 20s.

Bats must not be touched or handled. In this area they are a reservoir for rabies. One with rabies was found on Harper south of 53rd St.

Some Hyde Parkers have joined protests against substitution of semiautomatic M4s for police. The Supt. cited advantages such as greater accuracy but less damage to persons shot.

An important contact is Jeffrey LaPorte of the Gang and Drug House Task Force-- 312 747-8344.

At the June 25 5th Ward meeting, residents wanted action on crime, riled by the citywide and especially mid South surge this summer. They were reminded how important it is to engage with CAPs and to call-- and call-- and call when they see disturbing actions or the police do not seem to be responding. Only if matters are documented can the alderman go over police heads when action is not being taken. A testy issue was whether there is disproportionate crime from "Section 8", which the Alderman said is not born up by statistics. In fact, the Ald. said, the real concentrations are in the buildings of a few landords who look the other way. Drug dealers' latest tactics include cars with temporary license plates and police scanners. Residents' concern was reiterated at the July meeting.
At the October meeting, held in the crime and murder wracked (esp[. by youth) south part of the Ward well south of Hyde Park, police described stepped up outdoor roll calls and super roll calls at high-risk blocks-- citizens are urged to attend these. Also an increase in after school programs (Citywide sports) connected with Gary Comer Center and the new high school there.

July 12 2008 a group of youth robbed a bicyclist at 11 pm at 47th on the lakefront trail. Police took the youths into custody at 43rd St.

Sept. 27 a 22 year old man was shot early morning at 52nd and Lake Park in a incident related to a car. Stories differ.

In October 2008 a number of serious incidents were reported esp. on Ellis/5400, Madison Park, 55th Ridgewood Ct., and the paintballing that injured people from South Shore Drive to S. Hyde Park Blvd. The more serious were put on the University's new security email system with archive (www.uchicago.edu/safety/).

Nevertheless, SECC reported continued progress in crime reduction, for example a by-1st-nine-months comparison showed a drop in violent crime in HPK from 223 to 186 - a little more than half the recent peak of 370 in 1996 and 1997.

In July 2008, the Chicago Center for Urban Life and Culture, which seeks to integrate out of area students into urban life and start conversations on difficult topics, held a forum on violence to youth. Those speaking up were victims or relatives of victims who have attended Kenwood Academy and other schools. Participants included Jonathan Peck of the Southwest Youth Collaborative, Diane Latiker of Kids Off the Block, and Oscar Conreras of Families of the Community. Things to work on included education, parent-teacher organizations, diversity training, and ending corruption in foster care.

In a big shakeup in March 2008, new (and first outsider since 1960) Superintendent Jody P. Weis changed 21 of 25 district commanders. In the 21st, John. Doty is commander. Howard Lodding was promoted to assistant deputy superintendent of administrative services where he will put his IT skills to work. The new 2nd and 3rd district commanders were not yet known. 2nd District former commander Lynette Helm was promoted to chief of CAPS.

Commander Doty modifying robbery, other strategies in 21st District. Doty took over in March. His predecessor expanded the burglary-robbery team; Doty disbursed them into other frontline units but is developing a training program for much of his force in conjunction with Area One on evidence handling, photo arrays, interview an debriefings. He is focused on reducing the robberies. At the same time, he is charged with addressing the teen violence-(no deaths so far in the district, but teens have been shot, including one at 52nd and Blackstone). Crime levels do continue to decline in the district including Hyde Park and the University (for example down 11. 4 Jan-Mar 2008 over the previous year. But Doty is focusing on schools and after school times, reving up CAPS and getting guns off the streets. "Awareness is the best deterrent there is," he told the Herald.

As a part of continuing reorganization, the 21st will no longer be a training district, which does mean a reduction in number of officers. This district is not yet using the new scheduling.

The University of Chicago and the City have teamed up with philanthropists to establish a research crime lab to find ways to develop interventions to reduce youth crime, especially gun violence. Jens Ludwig of SSA will lead in this focus on what costs about a hundred billion a year and snuffs out lives and communities.

In May 2008 President Zimmer announced campus safety initiatives. Following recommendations of a Campus and Security Committee and an outside consultant convened after a murder in 2007, recommendations include a new shuttle bus system, walking escort service, daily crime report posting including a safety website, cameras and lighting, changes to the UC Police, better safety education and outreach. Changes will be implemented gradually and be modified as new dorms, facilities, etc. come on line. See elsewhere on updates in fall 2008.

East Hyde Park Action Committee's draft of ideas for addressing public safety, November 2008

Safety steps asked

Using much of the same language as in the Parking statement, that on Public Safety gives general background on the four topics, frames the problem (asking people if they feel safe now and safer than 5 year ago walking around at night (repliers said no) and why do families with young children leave (safety being a top answer).

Being outcomes-based, the group extrapolated from survey responses that a good neighborhood outcome is one that:

  • makes us feel safe walking around the neighborhood any time of the day or night;
  • makes parents feel that the neighborhood is a safe place to raise their children;
  • Puts East Hyde Park in the same league with our neighbors on the lakefront North of Grant Park when it comes to the number of crimes per resident.

EHPAC seeks an increase in resource allocation for police resources as the most straightforward way to improve safety.

Action Call:

  • The police department needs to provide us with meaningful statistics (about our neighborhood and others along the lakefront) and the formulas that are used to determine allocation of resources. We also need them to continue to provide the high quality policing (given limited resources) that we have come to expect.
  • Our elected officials need to provide leadership and press the residents, the police department and the city to each do their part in making the neighborhood a safe place to live.
  • And finally, we nee dour neighbors to participate and demand the resources that are necessary to achieve the outcome-- a safer neighborhood for us all.

It asks police and elected officials propose a plan that would:

  • Working with the residents, clearly state the "where we are no" and where we would like to be relative to public safety. This would include benchmarking ourselves against other lakefront neighborhoods and setting reasonable goals;
  • Define the steps necessary to get from where we are to where we want to be... and
  • Identify the resources (police, residents, other) that are necessary to make the plan work.

Then make the commitments and execute the plan.


At least three persons were arrested in May in conjunction with monitoring of a crime and behavior pattern behind BP carwash at 52nd west of Lake Park.

For the first 7 months of 2007, the 21st District posted the largest drop of any district in violent crimes, 22%. The drop for all of 2006 was 14%, the 3rd largest in the city.

November 19 saw the first murder of a UC student in 30 years, at 61st and Ellis It was the culmination of a spree of robberies and attempted robberies by 4 teenagers, one of whom is in custody.

For November and December 2007, SECC reported a crime pattern of home burglaries in the 4700 and 4800 blocks of South Woodlawn avenue.

September 3 , 2007 a female was attacked by 3 males in the 5400 block of S. Cornell at 11:45 pm.

Many residents are incensed at flushing out of swimmers at the Point.

April 9, 2007. Alert continues for a black male about 6 ft ht. who attacked at least four individuals in a short time mid evening in a four block's radius.

April 20, 2007. From: safety-awareness-admin@listhost.uchicago.edu [mailto:safety-awareness-admin@listhost.uchicago.edu] On Behalf Of Duel Richardson
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 1:21 PM
To: Safety-awareness@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: [Safety Awareness]Safety Awareness Alert

The following is the text of a Safety Awareness Alert:
At 3:17 pm, Thursday, April 19, near South Kenwood Avenue between 53rd & 54th Streets (within Nichols Park), a man was walking when he noticed a group of about 20 male juveniles (about 13-15 years of age) within the park. This group then surrounded him and someone struck the victim on the back of the head. One of the group then demanded that the victim empty his pockets. When the victim ignored this and tried to keep walking, he was struck, knocked down, and kicked. A small radio was taken from his pocket. The group fled when the victim went to a nearby emergency phone and summoned University police who were unsuccessful in locating the offenders. The victim refused medical attention. Police are investigating.


Safety Awareness Alerts are based on information that has been reported to the police. The reported facts may not have been investigated or confirmed.

PLEASE NOTE: The University of Chicago Police patrol area has in recent years been expanded considerably. In October of 2001, the patrol area was expanded south to 64th Street. In March of 2004, the patrol area was expanded north to 39th Street. The reporting protocols of the University's Safety Awareness Program apply to this entire area. Therefore, Security Alerts cover crimes committed not only in the Hyde Park neighborhood, but also in the surrounding North Kenwood/Oakland and Woodlawn neighborhoods that constitute parts of the expanded area patrolled by University police. Crime patterns are irregular throughout the patrol area. Readers are advised to attend carefully to the noted location of any reported incident.

April 28, former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun suffered assault and attempted robbery in which her wrist broken by an assailant outside her Hyde Park home. Two U of C students came to her assistance, but the assailant escaped. He was caught later.

Police express concern about new wave of teen random attacks on adults. In late May 2007, it was noted by police and officials that a number of attacks by (mainly groups of) teens on adults occurred, especially on May 21 around the U of C campus but also elsewhere. Rudy Nimocks, head of the U of C Police, said these are probably related to creating status and impressing peers. Bob Mason of SECC told the Herald the trend has been on the rise since February. Two had been arrested. This has since subsided to a steady occasional background.

May 31, a South Side resident and his wife were robbed on Jackson Park Golf Course by two teens with a gun.

An old crime solved: A suspect was arrested in Florida, a 19-year-old male, suspected in the 2006 murder of Corey Ebenezer, manager at Leona's in Kimbark Plaza. Lorenzo Wilson, 19, alleged killer of the Leona's manager in June 2006, has been extradited from Florida and charged. At least two others alleged to be involved are being sought. Murdered Corey Ebenezer's fiance has filed a lawsuit against premises management alleging lax security. All four alleged involved persons were arrested by June 2007. Heavily involved was a fired employee. The 15 year old was sentenced to five years and will testify against the others.

Police officers Troy Susnis and Maciej Prdazmowski were awarded the Cook County Sheriff Law Enforcement Award of Merit for helping detectives solve a robbery pattern in Hyde Park and arrest the suspects August 13 2007.
______________________

October 30, 2008 a forum was held on UC Police, that included much on Chicago Police issues and programs; upratchetings announced. Improvements announced at forums October 29 and 30 include more security cameras and swipe-card entry at an unspecified number of campus (and remote?) buildings thought to be too porous. Rudy Nimocks said "A year has gone by" since the Cisse murder "and we have been very busy in the aftermath," institutionalizing initial response the the murder of Amadou Cisse. Changes implemented include hire of 15 officers (more or less available around the clock) and shuttle bus routes including Maroon and Phoenix. Online trip planning is being developed. UC Police is seeking more adn access to Chicago Police security cameras in the area-- it only has access to one now south of 55th St .Nimocks said the key is to have live-feed access to cameras in squad cars.

A major complaint was problems and inadequacies with the "Safe Ride" program. Some of these will be intractable without a combination of more funding, known dedicated purposes, and improvement in some people's behavior. Still, UC Transportation chair Brian Shaw said response to Safe Ride has been largely favorable, although the high demand was not anticipated. Wait times are now down to 12-20 minutes, he said, adding he expects a further cut once new staff is hired and overall transportation queuing has been upgraded.

The October 30 panel at Stuart Hall included Wallace Goode (moderator, Comm. Service Ctr. and on HPKCC board); Mr. Richardson formerly with Dean's Office and now a CAPS volunteer; Rudy Nimocks head of UC Police, Chicago Community Policing officers, Vicki Suchovsky, Safety Chair HPKCC, and Lonnie Richardson, beat facilitator and 3rd District committee Woodlawn. There had been two different Safety forums on campus the previous day, but Stuart 102 was filled with over 30 students in this event sponsored by South Side Solidarity Network.

While much of the meeting dealt with informatics, discerning questions were raised and mostly answered honestly and informatively. Nimocks provided quite convincing evidence that students and all others encountered are served and treated without respect to that status, few complaints are filled and these have many steps of review including a committee at the Law School. There was much discussion of "carding", a CPD and UCPD process developed after and in accord with Supreme Court decisions, in which every person found acting suspiciously or erratically must be stopped and ID and description of them is taken down, usually after a period of time tailing. This was described as probably the major deterrence to crime, along with patrolling. Anyone is able to look at his card.

Still, persons gave testimony averring that whites are seldom stopped on the street while black youth, are under similar conditions.

Differences in crime and its intensity between neighborhoods and parts of these were described and debated. (Nimocks and police explained why it is hard to get a handle on how many and which crimes are committed by persons living in a neighborhood.) Panelists told why it is counterproductive to refer to a "war" on crime, including collateral damage. A crime pocket was described at Drexel 47th to 50th. Forum organizer Samantha Zwiebel tied alleged discrepancies in approaches to a generally poor and sloppy relationship between the University and communities, unsubtle and non-communal. Lonnie Richardson cited as a component of this University support for gentrification.


Top

2007 results: burglaries down, one tragic murder, robberies targeted

Hyde Park Herald, February 20, 2008. By Kate Hawley

Burglaries dropped by nearly a third in th 21st Police District last year-- a decline police credited to a task force recently created to target these crimes.

The 21st District covers a narrow strip of south lakefront land that includes Hyde Park, Kenwood, Oakland and a slice of Bronzeville north of 35th Street. The number of burglaries in that area sank to 481 in 2007, down from 702 a year earlier, according to police.

The steepest declines occurred in Hyde Park and the southern part of Kenwood, where burglary rates were highest in 2006. In three police beats roughly bounded by 47th Street, 55th Street, Cottage Grove Avenue and Lake Michigan, 197 burglaries were reported in 2007, down from 381 the previous year. Burglary rates elsewhere in the District varied but were generally lower, and saw less dramatic change from 2006 to 2007, according to Chicago Police Department figures.

A task force create to target burglaries and robberies played a big part in bringing the burglary rates down, said Howard Lodding, commander of the 21st District. Lodding, who assumed his post in April 2006, formed the task force in November of that year, prompted by input from the community and one of his sergeants, Matt Kolasa, he said.

Lodding expanded a two-person team focusing on robberies to an eight-person team dedicated to investigating burglaries and robberies. The task force can examine crimes with more focus and depth than regular police patrols, several of its officers said. And it responds within 24 hours-- several days before Area One detectives, who are responsible for five police districts, typically being investigating incidents.

"We get a little more intimate," said Dewey Lee, Jr., and officer on the task force."We kind of get used to their habits, their techniques," said his colleague, Officer Greg Strelczyk, of the burglars. Those techniques have shifted since the drug trade has declined in recent years, according to Nancy Lipman, a tactical lieutenant with the 21st District. "It's not the addicts looking for a fix a much," she said. "Now we're seeing more career burglars." The task force nabbed six of these -- considered "major offenders" by police -- within its first few months of operation, according toe Strelczyk. "We're on a hot streak," he said.

"After they were taken down, we noticed a huge reduction," he continued. "After that it became more opportunists than pattern-makers."

The District's top priority now is to reduce robberies, Lodding said. The number of robberies in th 21st District dropped by two last year: to 427 in 2007 form 429 in 2006, according to Chicago Police Department. However robberies declined about 24 percent in 2006 from the previous year [ed.- which was a high spike].

Lodding also said 21st District police have bought 100 paper shredders to raffle off at CAPS meetings, as a way to encourage residents to protect themselves from identity theft. Other crime-fighting devices, such a window alarms, are also available through CAPS, he said.

Protect yourself. 21st District Police advise:

 

 

U. of C. ups security in wake of crimes, November 2007 murder

Campus Safety and Emergency Alerts links are in the Public Safety page.

Note that the captured perpetrators did not come form the immediate area but many blocks west. And they were teens who decided they needed money so went out looking in Hyde Park and nearby because students were supposed to have money--they in fact got nothing or chump change from the three sets of victims that night. The University has held several focus groups, a memorial service and vigil, and a large rally on the Quads on this incident. Below is a report on one. We start with coverage of new security measures.

President Zimmer initiates new security measures across campus
University of Chronicle December 6, 2007.

In an e-mail message sent Monday, Nov. 27--one of several messages that President Zimmer has sent to the University community since the fatal shooting of amadou Cisse--the President reiterated that the University would continue to make campus security a top priority. He also updated the community about the actions that have been taken to strengthen campus safety.

In addition to permanently increasing police patrols on and around campus by 50 percent between 4 p.m. and midnight and more than doubling the police car presence after midnight, the University has established a police substation at 61st Street and Drexel Avenue. That facility will be staffed 24 hours a day and will provide a visible police presence south of the Midway Plaisance. The substation will operate until the University Police Department's new facility opens at that location in May 2008. A police substation will remain at the current headquarters at 56th Street and Ellis Avenue, once the new headquarters open in spring.

Two additional vans have been added to the University's SafeRide program, and the service has been expanded to begin at 5 p.m. Phone lines have also been added to ensure that callers will be able to reach a dispatcher to request a ride.

This on-demand van service is available Sunday through Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. for students and employees located in the University Police area of coverage (39th Street to 64th Street, Lake Shore Drive to Cottage Grove Avenue). Individuals should call (773) 702-2022 and give their precise address for pick-up, and have their University ID ready when boarding the bus. For more information about the SafeRide program or the University's evening bus service, please visit http://facilities,uchicago.edu/transpparking/transportation/index.shtml. You may e-mail any questions, concerns or suggestions to bus@uchicago.edu.

Anyone within the University Police coverage are may request a police escort at any time if they feel uncomfortable with their surroundings. Call 773 702-8181 and give your location; the first available patrol car will be dispatched to accompany you as you walk to your destination.

For more information about this Umbrella coverage ad other personal safety programs, please call (773) 702-8181 or visit http://oca.uchicago.edu/safety.

to reach the UCPD in an emergency, dial (773) 702-8181 or press the read button on one of the emergency phones located in the area. For non-emergency requests, please call 773 702-8190. Suggestions on security enhancements in or around campus may be sent o communityaffairs@uchicago.edu.

At the University implements these immediate measures, it also will undertake a sustained and comprehensive effort to improve campus safety, wrote Zimmer. " I am appointing a Working Group on Safety and Security composed of faculty, staff, students and community representatives to work intensively on a range of safety improvements," he noted.

Zimmer has appointed Kimberly Goff-Crews, Vice President and dean of Students in the University, and Rick Rosengarten, Dean of the Divinity School and current chair of he committee on Crime Prevention and Security on Campus and in the Neighborhood, to co-chair the group. It will review current security efforts, including policing, transportation, lighting and dissemination of information; solicit ideas for improving campus safety; and make recommendations about additional improvements.

The University also will consult with an external security firm, which wil conduct a thorough review of security measures and recommend any changes that might increase the University's effectiveness regarding safety.

"We also are working in partnership with City of Chicago officials, local elected officials, community leaders and residents to address the level of crime on the mid-South Side. we have extensive programs with our South Side community involving education, housing, jobs and other aspects inherent to a community that fosters a safe and secure environment. We will continue this work," wrote Zimmer.

[Note: Zimmer took a tour of the vicinity of the crime, including the new parking and office building at 61st and Drexel and ordered additional security equipment and measures.]

 

Hyde Park Herald, December 5, 2007. By Sam Cholke

Students gathered wednesday night a the McCormick Tribune Lounge to hear from University of Chicago administrates and police about on-campus security measures following the murder of student Amadou Cisse.

Rudolph Nimocks, chief of police and security services at the University of Chicago, provided an update on increased security measures on campus following the "tragic circumstances." Nimocks said police presence between East 55th and East 64th streets has been increased three fold since the recent string of crimes on East 61st street and South Ellis Avenue, including a mobile police substation on that corner.

Brian Shaw, director of campus transportation and parking services, said additional buses have been added to the late-night Safe Ride program. Additional vehicles are available to expand the service further, if demand warrants, he said. "Use spiked after the incident," Shaw said. Use of the service has nearly tripled. "Put the word out," Nimocks said. "Use all the transportation alternatives available."

Students expressed gratitude for having services like SafeRide available, but many worried that encouraging students to avoid walking around in the neighborhoods surrounding the campus could promote an irrational fear-- an "us vs them" mindset, as one student, Joe, said. [Ed. More likely is that the streets will become less safe for the lone walker if empty.] "It's not a problem of us vs. them. We've been working hard fo years to be in dialogue with the Woodlawn community," Nimocks said. "That attitude is all gone."

Shaw pointed to recent events, like the Hyde Park Jazz Festival, and services, like bus lines and parking available to residents and students alike, as helping link the university and the surrounding community.

Student Eve Ewing said services and events like those illustrated by Shaw and Nimocks were positive steps but did not foster an immediate relationship between students and residents. Ewing said her hope was t hat the Cisse murder would prompt more programs like the Neighborhood Schools Program (NSP), which helps students assist in school classrooms, community centers, and governmental offices. Ewing said prog drams like NSP help forge relationships between students and residents beyond the short-term contact that parking and community events offer. Ewing has worked in several neighborhood schools through NSP. She said she felt Cisse's murder would not change the attitude of those students already working in the community. "There are always going to be some who are fearful," Ewing said. "But people interested in working in Woodlawn wouldn't be dissuaded by this."

Kim Goff-Crews, vice-president and dean of students, was receptive to Ewing's comments and said the recently formed Working Group on Safety and Security would take her comments into consideration. Goff-Crews encouraged Ewing and other students with ideas on how to improve safety on campus to join the working group and bring their ideas to administrators. Top

Meetings other than regular CAPS

October 30, Thursday, 6 pm. There will be a forum on University and Community Policing. Among panelists is Vicki Suchovsky, who works with the 21st District and is a member of the HPKCC board. Stuart 102, 5835 S. Greenwood.

 

Alderman Hairston called a community meeting May 9 after former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley-Baun was mugged entering her house. A major purpose was to honor the two University of Chicago students who came to Ms. Braun's help and whom she called her heroes. Present were 21st district Commander Howard Lodding, who introduced many of his staff, and Rudy Nimocks, head of U of C Police Department, and SECC staff. They explained in detail both programs and strategies with improvements being made and provided many tips while acknowledging that there are going to be situations where people are going to be "opportunities" no matter how many police you pour into an area. Among improvements in progress, patrolmen are now in a program requiring them to get out of their cars most of the time and walk the beat -watching, talking to folks and being a presence; more bike patrols; multi-directional pod cameras in cars, increasing undercover officers and missions; new strategies on the Midway, and more. Nimocks insists their personnel has increased per population and per territory over the past few years despite taking on new coverage north and south. Also pointed out: despite the remaining high number of burglaries, they are down sharply so far this year and 5 major burglars have been caught this year.

Among concerns and allegations from attendees were:

Alderman Hairston agreed to call another meeting for more update and input.

Parents note: at the end of June, 2006 City Council passed a new curfew law, effective immediately. Parents as well as children can be fined and arrested if kids are out on the street unaccompanied by an adult or on way to/from work or an adult supervised activity after 10:30 pm on weekdays, 11:30 on weekends. At least one squad car is being assigned per district.

HPKCC WhisleStop Committee sells whistles with information at Hyde Park Coop near customer service 2nd Saturdays 11-2. (The whistles are always available at the customer service desk.)

 

Summarizing a rocky 2005

Violent crime went up by just over 10% but some categories skyrocketed far beyond that, including murders up a third, aggravated assaults 15. By October robberies (which mainly drive violent crime statistics) and aggravated assaults outnumbered the previous year's by 80% each. The year saw our first double-digit violent crimes increase since 1996. There were 15 shootings resulting in injuries in 2005, a year that saw violent crime actually down 18.5 percent. However, January was relatively quiet with only 9 robberies 39th to 64th.
The first wave of robberies and batteries ran from January 31 through February 23- 12 and continued 5 months for a total of 55 by teenagers, several of whom were arrested.
Next there was a wave of 8 armed robberies by a "brazen 'older crew'," who were arrested in April.
Amidst that was a strong, persistent uptick in burglaries of homes and garages (esp. multi-family units) spread throughout the neighborhood and that did not abate but grew stronger about October. Burglaries are largely drugs-driven. 3-4 persons are thought to be responsible for most, and police are following leads.
Another wave was the gang loitering spike in the summer and beyond in northwest Hyde Park that included several shootings and murders continuing on.
In June the carjackings started, and a string of bold robberies all over the neighborhood peaking with 16 armed robberies between Sept. 12 and Oct. 29--this set of 3 was arrested, but further arrests made only a small dent. In December there were several carjackings/kidnappings in one evening.
There were also a few well publicized arsons. Top

2006

Final figures compiled for 2006 by South East Chicago Commission and the 21st district showed and overall decline in violent crimes for 2006 of 25% over 2005, a trend continuing in 2007. The 21st District had the largest drop in the city. While 2005 was up, this returns to the trend line of the 1990s and later, resulting in some categories with the lowest levels since records started in 1975. This is attributed by police in large measure to coordination between UC and city police, attention to ownership of the beat and assignment, community policing nd new technology that extends the reach of the officer. Burglaries and other property crimes remain elevated, however-the only cat. to go up even slightly, with several alerts. The improvements were celebrated by the February 6 business lunch, the April 1 Pancake Breakfast at the Neighborhood Club and the April 19 South East Chicago Commission annual dinner. At the latter, especially honored were 21st District Commanders Howard Lodding and U of C. Police Officer Walter Boddie.

Comparisons for 2006: Violent crimes: Hyde Park 693, 21st District incl. HP 1085, citywide average per district 1219, lowest 218 (Jefferson Park-O'Hare), highest 3035 (Englewood) .

Some figures: Violent crime down 50% in the last decade and overall crime at a 30-year low. Robberies really drive the statistics, according to Bob Mason, Exec. Dir. of SECC. Aggravated battery and assault figures were not available before 1996, but have gone down 44% in the past decade. Burglaries, although quite high, are still down 45% from 1975 (784 to 433). And motor vehicle thefts dropped 58% also. U of C police cars are now in many instances unmarked and the officers plain clothed and work much more closely with police, over a larger service area. Several experienced persons say housing and hence occupants have been overhauled in large part, maybe as much since 1975 as during Urban Renewal. Population decline in the neighborhood itself has been minor (single digit), although dramatic north and south of Hyde Park, which could also make a difference.

   1975 2006
 Murder 11 2
 Agg. crim. sex. assault  51  6
Robbery 546 205 (down 62%
Vehicle Theft 578 245

 

From A business working coffee with Ald. Preckwinkle: Policing, rats, snow, and Cleanslate

February 6, 2007 the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce and Ald. Preckwinkle held a quarterly business working coffee hosted by Pizza Capri.

The main purpose was to honor the 21st District and University of Chicago Police for a drop of up to 25 percent for 2006 and continuing in 2007 in violent and other categories of crime, to ask questions, and to find out what is next. Next is a major expansion of cameras, coming on a pilot basis, which police in the cars will be able to monitor simultaneously to greatly increase the reach of each officer in a time when not many new officers can be hired. Officer of he 21st District said they take seriously each beat officer’s ownership of responsibility in his beat. The University is also committed to expanding its reach through technology and to expanding even further coordination of the forces. (The U of C police are the first on the scene in the great majority of calls.) Several attending gave witness to the attention and helpfulness of both forces. Police said there have been major strides in controlling youth in and around Kenwood Academy and at BP and McDonalds, although there has to be a continuous presence during the day, as there is at Spruce Park. Call 911 for crimes and activity in progress. For ongoing problems talk to Lt. Martinez at 31 747-8340.

One question was about how landlords can get background checks on prospective and current tenants. Police said for the former private firms have to be hired. If there are reasons to think a current tenant is engaging in illegal activities, call the police for check, but you have to have a reason.

On homelessness and panhandling, these are not against the law. Triggers for police intervention are trespassing (e.g. sleeping or soliciting in a doorway) and harassment. Police have handled problem areas such as 53rd Blackstone, Spruce Park, Harper Court, behind the Pizza Capri building—some more were pointed out. Police pointed out that most here actually have homes, but are jobless, or else make their living panhandling, sometimes a very good living. They are generally sophisticated and know what behaviors will get them in trouble. The other component, mentally ill, are not as adept at that....

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2006 Summary- crime down, some key crimes, tips. Murder of Charles Marks in Jackson Park July 2006
Hyde Park Herald, December 27, 2006. By Kathy Chaney

Crime down in 2006: What the Herald says this is based on and what it shows

Hyde Park-Kenwood saw its lowest overall crime rate in decades from January to November 2006, according to statistics released by the Chicago Police Department and the South East Chicago Commission.

Compared to the same period last year, the district [21st?] had the biggest drop, 16 percent, in total index crimes throughout the city during the period. The area also had the lowest decrease in property index crime out of 25 police districts in Chicago with 16 percent. Violent crimes in the area went down 13 percent, the fourth greatest decrease in the city.

Total index crime is one of the eight crime categories collected as part of the Uniform Crime Reporting Program and is considered representative of the most serious crimes. The eight crime categories are split into two subcategories, violent and property.

Property index crimes are those in which there is no direct threat or harm to a person, including burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson. This year there were 612 burglaries, 2,053 thefts, 513 motor vehicle thefts and 11 arsons.

Violent index crimes are directly committed against a person and include homicide, criminal sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault/battery. This year there were five homicides, 32 criminal sexual assaults, 400 robberies and 357 aggravated assault/batteries.

The Chicago Police Department’s vice control section cited the Cove Lounge, 1750 E 55th St., and the Falcon Inn, 1605 E. 53rd St., for selling alcohol to minors. The businesses failed to ask for identification prior to sales on May 5.

On July 31, the “Our Lady of Grace” statue at St. Thomas the Apostle church, 5472 S. Kimbark Ave., was smashed. The 80-pound statue was cut in half and beheaded. That was the second time the statue was damaged. The first incident was on Nov. 11, 2005.

BankFinancial, 1354 E. 55th St., was robbed on Sept. 19 and United Credit Union, 1300 E. 47th St., on the 2nd floor, was robbed Nov. 27. No injuries were reported.

Hyde Park podiatrist, Anthony Overton Jr., was charged wit sexual assault for an alleged incident June 6 at his office in the 9600 block of South Halsted Avenue. A 76-yar-old woman said Overton sexually assaulted her while she was there for a foot exam. Overton also maintained a practice in the Hyde Park Bank building. His business license was revoked.

Corey Ebenezer, manager of Leona’s restaurant, was killed June 15 during a robbery by three men who entered the restaurant through an open back door around midnight. A $1,000 reward was offered for information leading to the arrests of the suspects. Anyone with information is urged to call the police, 312-747-8380, or the Crime stoppers hotline, 800-535-7867. Suspect arrested in Florida, May 2007.

A South Shore mother’s two sons were victims of gun violence, a year apart, in the same vicinity. The mother ‘s 18-year-old son was gunned down on June 23, 2005 in the 5400 block of South Ingleside Avenue. On June 30, 2006, her 23-year-old son was caught in a hail of bullets as he walked with a friend down the 5200 block of south Ingleside Avenue. The elder son survived the shooting. Police said no arrests have been made in either incident.

Charles Marks, 61, of the 1700 block of least 56th Street, was beaten to death around 3:50 p.m. on July 20 in the park area near the 6300 block of South Cornell Avenue, commonly referred to as “Wooded Island.” Four black males were seen entering and leaving the area around the time of the incident, police said. No arrests have been made.

Janice Ordidge was strangled and found in her apartment’s bathtub in the Twin Towers apartment high rise on Oct. 23. Anthony Triplett, a cable installer scheduled to service her unit, was charged with her murder on Dec. 14. Triplett is the prime suspect in the murder of a Southwest Side woman killed in a similar manner.

The police department issued the following tips for residents to help reduce the chance of becoming a victim:

· To help prevent burglaries, the police suggest getting an alarm system, double-locking all doors and having someone watch your home when you are away for extended periods of time. Never let strangers in. If you live in an apartment complex, do not let people you do not know “piggy-back” in as you enter.
· To stave off assaults and robberies, police urged residents to not travel alone and reduce foot traffic during late night and early morning hours. Keep handbags and coats off the backs of chairs when you are at a bar or restaurant, and do not leave them unattended.
· Due to the death of Janice Ordidge, at the hands of a cable technician during a legitimate service call, the police suggested that residents alert a neighbor or someone else of the date and time of scheduled service calls and to keep a window open, a door cracked and a cell phone in hand while the technician is in the home.

Robberies and violent crime continued a lower in the first two months of 2006, - and continued to be very quiet through at least mid June one of the quietest first 5 months on record--and the greatest percentage decrease in crimp out of the 25 districts--17%, but burglaries and some other categories (auto) continue at an elevated rate. And there were attention-grabbing crimes. The 21st District seeks to be proactive toward any upsurge in gang and drug activity and loitering in West Hyde Park. A spectacular murder of the manager of Leona's at closing time June 14 jolted the area. New area Commander Howard Lodding and CAPS Community Policing Sergeant Theresa Odum have been at the CAPS meetings and seem very engaged. The third district also has a new commander.

Matters largely appear to have calmed down as far as large groups and gang-related activity and shootings along Drexel and related streets 47th to 55th. However, one-on-one and 2 on one crime continues as in the rest of the area.

A large number of computers and computer parts belonging mainly to UC students and faculty (and reportedly at least one significant theft from within the Hospital) were found both within a UC student's apartment at 1401 E. 55th and Apollo Computer 5234 S. Blackstone, which was acting as a chop shop. If you think your property is among these, call 312 747-8330 (police) . Top

There are now 3 cameras (and they will soon be scanning all license plates to try to catch those with warrants, etc.- Ald. Preckwinkle is for all this and says the cameras have been helpful. Some way they have pushed the crime over, Ald. Hairston has some reservations). The cameras, which have zoom of 400X, 360 angle and more, are at 48th an drexel, 53rd and Drexel and at Kenwood High, 51st and Harper.

September-November 2006 notes. Several robbers continue to target businesses, esp. those without surveillance cameras. Some street robbers are very young. Some burglars have been caught thanks to diligent neighbors. Yet another warning about burglars, especially in the 5200 and 5300 blocks of Ellis and Woodlawn, was issued in mid October. Since Ingleside, then Greenwood (Feb. 07) were special targets in a spate of burglaries throughout the area.

In October, we had our second homicide of the year, Janice Ordidge was found strangled in her bathtub in an upscale high rise in east Hyde Park. No sign of forced entry. The "cable guy" perpetrator was later caught. And a rash of street robberies by pairs of teens and adults, also in the 3rd week of October and after, including on campus several brazen robberies and a set of persons shooting bb guns at people. Student Government is setting up a security commission that will seek more lighting and phones, faster response time, and an on-line database; others say the UC and city police are already addressing the matters and crime is overall and some is unavoidable. Burglaries continue to mushroom. And now there is an alert on bikes, especially at the University.

The 21st district saw a 17 percent decline in violent index crimes January-May 2006, going from 7th to 11th highest. Commander Lodding attributed this to collaboration between Chicago and University of Chicago Police with SECC.

Total index crime, according to the Herald, is one of 8 crime categories collected by the police as part of the Uniform Crime Reporting Program and is considered representative of the most serious crimes. The 8 are spit into violent and property. Violent include homicide , criminal sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault or battery.

There were 2 homicides in the district this year (at least one of them in Hyde Park-Kenwood). The average in the period was six per district.


Success: Crime down

Hyde Park Herald, March 21, 2007. By Kathy Chaney

Crime down near Bessie Coleman Park: Reports of "shots fired" reduced from 52 to 10 in one year

The two blocks in west Hyde Park that crime had a stranglehold on in 2005 saw quieter days in 2006 as a result of community involvement, the alderman's offices and local police.

Calls to the Chicago Police Department reporting "shots fired" reduced dramatically in 2006 in the 5300 and 5400 blocks of South Drexel avenue after the police stepped up patrols and monthly meetings between building owners in the area and the 21st district police department was initiated.

In 2005 there were 52 "shots fired" calls; in 2006, there were 19. The 5399 block of South Drexel Avenue is in the 4th Ward and the 5400 block of South Drexel Avenue is in the 5th Ward.

The crime surge in that two-block stretch, near Bessie Coleman Park, 5445 S. Drexel Ave., was attributed to a conflict between two gangs, the "Titanic Blackstones" and the "Mickey Cobras." The gangs competed for drug sales in the area.

Peter Cassel, the advisory council chair for the park and the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club's executive director, said a myriad of factors--increased police presence, improved street lighting an community organizing--helped bring the area back to a safe state. "They [police] get out of their cars, speak with the kids on the street," Cassel told the Herald. "The area received a great deal of assistance from Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th)."

Keeping the area well lit, the addition of speed bumps to slow down traffic and the presence of the police camera at 53rd Street and Drexel Avenue, he said, also added a sense of security.

Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) said discussions between police and local property owners through a series of monthly meetings, called "Drexel Corridor," started at her ward office in April 2005 to combat loitering and other activities that promote crime. Months after the meetings started, a new commander for the 21st District, Howard Lodding, took over.

"At the meetings, we discuss problems in the buildings on Drexel, calls we receive service on and problems called into the alderman's office," Lodding told the Herald. Lodding said managers of the buildings were also instrumental in keeping the area quiet and safe. "Management [at the monthly meetings] gets to tell us what we're not doing as a police department and the camera seems to be doing well," he said.

Another integral part of driving crime down in the area is the assignment of two tactical officers, Lodding said. "Their main focus is on the management companies, problems in the buildings and things of that nature," he said.

Officers Janean Ormond and Jeff LaPorte said they have noticed an improvement in the area. The biggest difference, they said, has been the cooperation among building owners, management companies and the aldermen.

"Everyone is there. There are a few residents that come from one of the high-rises, by mainly it's for the management to come with us with their issues," LaPorte said. The system has worked. New building owners have reached out to the commander and the tactical officers.

"They come to us with ideas and we let them know what works and what doesn't. They want to make sure they don't have a problem in their buildings and they want to know how to spot the behavior that breeds problems," Ormond said.

The officers recommend that residents take a more proactive approach and attend the regular Community Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) beat meetings and always call police when they see suspicious activity.

The tips from the officers, Cassel said, were implemented by the community. "Things got out of control very quickly and the community really organized itself fast and got right back at it. We all came together and said that this couldn't happen and it stopped," Cassel said.

The CAPS beat that encompass the patrol area near Coleman Park are 2123, 2124 an 2131.... Call 312 747-2930. [These meet respectively:

  • Beat 2123 (North Kenwood) 2nd Tuesday, Kennicott Park field house, 4434 S. Lake Park Avenue. 7 pm.
  • Beat 2124 (northwest) 4th Tuesday, MOVED to 4829 S. Cottage Grove. 6 pm.
  • Beat 2131 (central north) 3rd Thursday, Hyde Park Neighborhood Club, 5480 S. Kenwood. 7 pm. ]

[Shots fired 2005 52, 2006 19. Homicides from 1 to 0, Aggravated assault/battery from 3 t o 0, Armed robbery and Attempted from 1 each to 0.]

 

Area One detective are looking for one black man 26 to 28 years old, about six-feet tall and approximately 200 pounds with a stocky build, wearing a red shirt, medium-brown complexion an black hair worn in braids; and one clean shaven, thin black man 20 to 25 years old, about six-feet tall with a medium-brown complexion. No description of the third suspect is available.

On March 18, 2007 a community alert was issued after a woman was raped but 1:30 am in the vicinity of Jackson Park. 312 747-8380.

They are also looking for a black male aged 30-40, 5'6" to 5'9" 160-190 lbs who attempts to kidnap and rob women at knife point. Incidents reported in the 5400 block on Kimbark and Harper. January 2007. Call Detectives Area One with information, 312 747-8382.

Police are also looking for a suspect who sexually assaulted a woman at 5400 Greenwood- 27-3, African American, 6 foot, braided hair, 200 pounds. Also for the group of youths who assaulted a Lab School student at ? pm July 5 2006 on Kenwood Avenue between 56th and 57th.

And for an African-American male c30 5'7" medium build and black goatee who tried to kidnap a woman into a car, at 56th and Kimbark March 6.

In February 2006 total crime was down 22 percent over Feb. 2005; overall down 5% Feb. 05-Feb. 06 over previous 12-month period. The 12-month. comparison shows robberies down 29% (24 to 17) and thefts 54% (67 to 31). However, burglaries are up 97% over the 12-month (37 to 73). Property crime is down 29% in Feb. (1% for the 12-month). Violent crime was the same as in January but is down 18.5 compared to last February.

Despite capture of one person responsible for 15 burglaries in the west part of Hyde Park and Kenwood, burglaries are continuing.

Continuing the trend, in the first week of April there were 4 burglaries (3 in East Hyde Park, 2 probably by the same individual judging from proximity in place and time) but no robberies or assaults, 3 property thefts and 3 car thefts. And now the summer surge is likely to kick in.

Another, particularly vicious, pair of robbers was caught the last week of April.
June saw shooting of a Hyde Park High student at 1500 52nd (one of 3 suspects in custody, vicious attack followed a challenge by several to group rowdiness and brick-throwing). Then came the robbery-murder at Leona's.

In May, the new police commander, Howard Lodding, and University of Chicago Police had initiated several measures to turn things around.

Snapshot May 18-June 15 2006, Beat 2131

What's hot: theft (11), Criminal damage and Motor vehicle theft (10 each), Battery (8). There were 4 assaults and 4 batteries, and 1 each Criminal sexual assault, Criminal trespass, Deceptive practice, Offense involving children (not bringing back in time), Robbery.

The World Garden at Kenwood Community Park, started by Common Threads and the park, experienced repeated vandalism and theft to the garden and minimal fence in 2006. (Common Threads was started by Al Smith, Oprah's chef, and includes a project to teach kids from across the South Side the whole process of food production. The Kenwood Improvement Association at its meeting heard from the project's director Linda Novick and asked action. Rudy Nimocks, director of The University of Chicago Police, made arrangements for nighttime UCP and 21st District patrols to make sure the garden stays. They also have been working with the park district to get a sturdy fence. Matters appear to have calmed down,

Late summer into fall 2006. Serious, violent and predacious sex offenses connected with robberies continue to punctuate a quieter year.

Neighbors are complaining about an increase in mobile drug sales along 56th and Everett.

Several of the late summer-early fall 2006 crimes are in broad daylight and peopled areas, especially at the University and Hospitals. In the 5 months through September, 5 shootings and 3 murders vs. 20056 11 shootings and 5 fatalities. We also had a bank robbery, Bank Financial Lake Park branch (the robber got away, although the dye-pack money was recovered.)

On September 7, Patrick Starks of 5200 block S. Harper was charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse, kidnapping and robbery of a 16-year-old boy. Starks allegedly forced the youth into his car, brandishing a gun. The youth was allegedly robbed and molested in Starks' apartment but was cleverly able to get away; police shortly thereafter apprehended Starks. Starks was held in lieu of $300,000 bond and was to appear in court September 21.

September 8 an accompanied(!) woman was sexually assaulted by the Lab School in the 5800 block of S. kenwood, again by a man announcing robbery and showing a gun, although this time mot from a gun. The assailant allegedly threatened to shoot both victims. Police are looking for an African-American male aged 18-23, 6 foot, 280 to 200 pound, brown eyes and black hair in braids wearing dark baggy pants and a white T-shirt. Call 312 747-8380 if you have any information.

In one of the more bizarre crimes, a 79-year-old Hyde Park woman (5300 block of S. Hyde Park) named Melvena Cooke is alleged to have attempted unsuccessfully to rob a Bank of America downtown branch.

Burglaries continue in all parts of the community.

At the end of 2006,there are still no leads in the murder of the Leona's' manager June 15.

The cameras are installed along Drexel Blvd. at about 48th/49th and 52nd and a different kind south (5th Ward?). They have to be funded from aldermanic menus. They are theoretically part of the "Homeland Security Grid" and managed by the Office of Emergency Management and Communications.

And the university is putting up 5 additional security phones along 47th and in west Hyde Park.

There is a new one that keeps an eye on Kenwood Academy grounds and students coming and departing. Whether there will be opposition is unknown.

There is a strong call to implement cameras at hot locations, and the first locally will probably be at 47th/48th Drexel. Alderman Preckwinkle and the 21st District, with strong support at recent CAPS meetings, had selected by early April 2006 4 locales, to be narrowed to 2 and be placed in the vicinity of 47th and Drexel. Cameras are linked to the Office of Emergency Management and Communication. Some say such cameras are little more than deterrents sometimes invite daredevils-- by the time dispatched officers come the damage is done. Top

There are now 3 cameras (and they will soon be scanning all license plates to try to catch those with warrants, etc.- Ald. Preckwinkle is for all this and says the cameras have been helpful. Some way they have pushed the crime over, Ald. Hairston has some reservations). The cameras, which have zoom of 400X, 360 angle and more, are at 48th an drexel, 53rd and Drexel and at Kenwood High, 51st and Harper. Altogether there were 300 and counting cameras in the city in late 2006.

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South East Chicago Commission stats show significant decline in violent crime in H P area.

Based on March 1, 2007 U of C Chronicle, by Sabrina L. Miller

Crime was lower in 2006 than 2005 in 4 of 6 categories, robbery having the lowest since statistics began in 1975. Robberies dropped 29 percent from a spike year, 2005, but more significantly was down 40 percent from 1996. Burglaries were up, but overall property crime down 14 percent for the year. Overall violent crime was down 43 percent from 10 years earlier, 1996. Crime was higher around the U of C campus, resulting in more police patrols, outreach and a study of area lighting. The UC patrol force is 140.

Crime statistics for Hyde Park-South Kenwood

Category   1975 1996 2005 2006 75-06 96-06 05-06
Violent Murder 11 6 4 2 -82 -67 -50
" Agg Crim Sex A 51 29 6 6 -88 -79 0%
" Robbery 546 336 287 205 -62 -39 -29
" Agg Batt Asslt NA 152 100 85 NA -44 -15
" Total NA 523 397 298 NA -43 -25
Sel Prop Burglary 784 457 386 433 -45 -5 +12
" Motor Veh th 578 662 276 245 -58 -63 -11

Top

Armed robberies still target cell phone, other stores

The pattern spanned 5 months and a wide swath of neighborhoods as of May 2006. A special alert was given to these stores. The pattern, thought to involve the same people, is unusual in its wide dispersion. Advice is to have surveillance equipment, don't resist but be observant so a good description can be given.

U of C 3rd-year student Walter Ulmer was arrested in a major theft spree in February 2007. Ulmer is a resident of the 1401 University Park condominiums building. During a "wellness" check, he attempted to jump out of his apartment, according o police, and a hoard of mostly electronic equipment was found belonging to area residents and the U of C and its Hospitals. Police seek to link the owner of Apollo Computer at 5234 S. Blackstone with receiving and fencing the stolen goods--indeed, hundreds of computer parts were found in the shop with no records. Building the cases depends on victims coming forward.

Pattern burglaries were reported on Ingleside Avenue at the end of 2006. But burglaries occur throughout the neighborhood. Top

Highly bizarre: for a second time in 2006, the Lady of Peace statue of the Virgin in the St. Thomas the Apostle garden was removed from its base, dragged to the church steps, and head and hands cut off, as in some kind of Satanic ritual? The statue is beloved and a source of devotion even to non-parishioners.

Howard W. Lodding was appointed Commander of the 21st District, and has actively engaged the communities and need to combat crime. 312 747-5143.
The new CAPS Sergeant (Community Policing Officer) is Theresa Odum, 312 747-2930. theresa.odum@chicagopolice.org.

Jackson Park concerns:

Wooded Island late night security, including Osaka Garden, has become a serious issue in 2006. The offenses are various, ranging from sexual activity through wild parties, vandalism, and a a murder in July 2006. The police and alderman say they are overtaxed to deal with the situation. Various short and long-term solutions are being explored. The 3rd District has been invited to come to the August 14 JPAC meeting.

Incidents involved a homicide, likely also a hate crime, on or at Wooded Island July 10 2006. Charles Marks, 61, of 1700 E. 56th St. was found robbed and beaten to death at 3:50 pm. Area 2 Detective Tom Ayers told the Herald "Four black males were seen entering and leaving the area around the time of the incident." They were reported to have boasted "We got a faggot." Police have some leads but no suspects. Area 2 detectives are at 312 747-8271.

In addition, July 22 a fisherman fell into the lake and drowned by the harbor inlet, 6500 S. Lake Shore Drive, his fishing partner jumped in to save him and was pulled under. The men were Jacob Neal and Anthony Cleveland. Top

University beefing up security- and how do we rank on crime? Ex burglars give neighbors timely tips

In the past few years the University Police extended its reach to at points 35th in the north and 64th in the south--some say at cost of stretching resources thin, although its coverage of problems and work with the Chicago Police to crack crimes has been fantastic. The University Police will also move into new state of the art facilities in the 61st/Drexel Garage.

With the upsurge of crime in 2005 (the first double-digit increases in violent crime since 1996 according to Bob Mason of South East Chicago Commission) , reaching even into campus, the University increased its patrols. By the start of 2006, the University had committed new resources. According to an email to the University community January 6, Hank Webber cited a spike in crime as reason for hiring more police at $200,000 a year and improving campus lighting. Webber said action has been taken on safety concerns, including addition of three UCPD patrols, plans to increase campus lighting at night, and arrests of those involved in September through December strings of robberies and carjackings. Two of the new patrols--including both uniformed and plain clothed officers-- will operate 4-12 pm and the other during the day. There will be increased overtime pay. Also, a full review is being made of campus and neighborhood areas police and others think are under lighted.

Still, University spokespersons (Webber in the email) point out, the area remains "relatively safe." Of 77 neighborhoods, Hyde Park had 10 sexual assaults vs South Shore 50 and Woodlawn's 27 (the 10th worst in the city at 5 attacks per 5,000 residents). Hyde Park's 2004 821 violent crime incidents per 100,000 residents is 26 percent below the city average of 1,270 per. And property crime fell 6 percent in 2005 to a record low.

The Chicago Police Office of Crime Prevention offers seminars around the neighborhoods. One technique is to ask ex-burglars to advise on preventing burglaries. Tips include varying daily routines, going out and returning. Use a layered security system so it takes the burglar too long or noise calls attention. Teach your kids not to tell what you have in your home. Initial your property so you can prove 1) that it's yours, 2) that it was stolen. Keep a full inventory of your property and take out insurance. If you find your home or burglarized go out and call police--don't confuse the issue with your own prints! To get started you must file the report. Then stay with the process despite its frustration--or the perpetrator goes free.

The University's chapter of NOW asks in early 2006 for more resources, awareness of sexual assault on campus, separate policy from that on sexual harassment.

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2005-6 cache: alerts incl. the strong-arm robber, West Hyde Park spree and community CAPS mtg. and sampler of recent crimes, overview, community proposals and actions

General news:

See what neighbors said about public safety in HPK at a HPKCC public discussion on what's right, what's wrong with HPK. In the HPKCC Community Safety page.

Alerts up now: Murder of Leona's manager at closing time--storeowners should use all precautions. See below.

Alert is out for a 20-25 year old man for sexual assault to a 13-year-old girl on June 9 in the 5100 block of S. Cottage Grove. Driving a Chevy 4 Door white Blazer.

Note, the only registered sexual predator living in HPK proper is within 500 feet of Akiba-Schechter 5200 Cornell. (Such are not supposed to be living within 500 feet of a school.) Some have strongly said there is insufficient attention at CAPS etc. to the matter. For more info or notice of registered offenders go to chicagopolice.org or familywatchdog.us.

June 30 the was a sexual assault near 5400 Greenwood. African-American, 2-25, 67 ft , long braided hair.

The brother of a young man killed in breakdown of a gang truce June 23 2005 in the 5400 block of S. Ingleside was shot and critically wounded, along with the person he was walking with (not critically) , in the 5200 block of S. Ingleside when someone riding past on a bike at 4:15 pm. opened fire at them several times. The suspects are African American, males, c 16 years of age, one 5' 6" 180#.


Occasional stabbings and attacks of opportunity by groups of men.
Burglaries (even though a person responsible for 15 burglaries in west Hyde Park has been caught).
Store robberies- especially cell phone stores.
Car theft/theft from cars.
Pigeon drop scam.

Still, the first quarter of 2006 was the lowest in years for crimes, with theft of property still being rather high.

Now installed: a blue-light cameras on Drexel Blvd. between 47th and 48th--and as far south as 53rd.

Leona's manager murdered June 14 2006. Description

The murder of the Leona's manager at closeup time has shocked the neighborhood

Some are commenting on business procedures--open rear doors? Lack of cameras including in the alleys out back? And struggling rather than complying with demand for money. And on the possibility of inside involvement since other employees were not harmed. The police are tracking leads--very diligently, but with little reported success so far.

Herald June 21, by Kathy Chaney. As of Monday, the Chicago Police Department continued its search for three suspects in a robbery June 15 at Leona's restaurant, 1236 E. 53rd St. that ended in the murder of Corey Ebenezer. Leona's manager, Ebenezer, 26, was tallying the days' money and register receipts when three men entered an unlocked rear door of the restaurant and demanded money, police said.

A brief struggle ensued before shots were fired. The suspects ran out of the rear door into an alley with an undisclosed amount of money. Money was also found lying next to Ebenezer's body. Other employees who were cleaning up at the time of the incident were not injured. Current and former employees of Leona's said it was normal practice for the rear door to be unlocked beyond closing hours.

Leona's, which shares the alley with other businesses located in Kimbark Plaza, does not have surveillance cameras. While there are no visible cameras in the alley of Kimbark Plaza, police are looking into whether any cameras at those businesses captured the suspects fleeing.

Kimbark Pl az, managed by Aegis Properties, employs security guards for the mall daily between 10 a.m. and 12. a.m. Security personnel were off duty by the time of the robbery. "We are in the process of doing many improvements," Tim Allwardt (sp?), president of Aegis, told the Herald on Monday. Aegis took over management of the plaza about a month ago and was not aware of any security concerns prior to the murder [including robberies at Chase Bank and Wok and Roll?!] "I will bring the concerns up to the Kimbark Plaza board," he said. The Parker-Holsman Company managed Kimbark Pizza before Aegis took over [and] could not be reached for comment...

"This is a prominent neighborhood and I've worked her for 10 years and never saw any surveillance cameras. I just don't understand it," said an employee in the strip mall who wished not to be named. Hyde Parker Sheila Clay said, "They need to install cameras behind the businesses to keep the people safe. Installing them is now that experience."

Ebenezer, a Bronzeville resident and father, worked for the company for nearly eight years, working in their Beverly and suburban Hillside locations before coming to Hyde Park. "He was a good man and a good father. We just had a baby...

Area One detective are looking for one black man 26 to 28 yea srs old, about six-feet tall and approximately 200 pounds with a stocky build, wearing a red shirt, medium-brown complexion an black hair worn in braids; and one clean shaven, thin black man 20 to 25 years old, about six-feet tall with a medium-brown complexion. No description of the third suspect is available...

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Caught: all the currently active strong-arm robbers? NO! But the pattern robber (and his cousin accomplice) are captured and accounted for. And two waves of carjackers, one responsible for up to 5 December 10 and 12. The former student who set fires on the UC campus was caught, as was a UC guard turned strong-arm robber!

Caught also - a person responsible for 15 burglaries west Hyde Park.

Caught in December 2006- the infamous "cable guy" murderer, who claimed a victim in a east Hyde Park tower building autumn 2006. People wonder why he was observed for hours casing the place with nothing being said and why it took so long after his arrest for another similar crime to make the connection.

Caught also in December 2006- a pair of early teens committing robberies at and near the U of C.

Continuing- robberies at the U of C Hospitals employees remote lots since security guards were eliminated for budget reasons..

Bessie Coleman Park Council, residents, and the Conference are sending letters to the Superintendent asking the 54th Drexel area be declared a Hot Spot for increased police presence and speed in naming a quality replacement for 21st District Community Police director Scott Oberg.

 

February 2 2006 HPKCC board resolution and letter, echoing that of Bessie Coleman Park Council, and letter to Supt. Cline

Motion:

Whereas: There has been a continued aggravated problem with serious crime and quality of life issues for parts of west Hyde Park since early 2005,

And Whereas the Bessie Coleman Park Advisory Council has asked for designation of that park’s vicinity as a Gang and Drug Loitering Hot Spot for increased police presence,

And Whereas the Council has expressed its interest for the Conference to back its requests to Police Superintendent Cline,

And Whereas the concern and requests of the Bessie Coleman Park Council are congruent with the concerns and interest of the Conference,

Therefore be it Resolved that the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference directs that the following letter and attachments be sent to Superintendent Philip Cline and co-correspondents:


Draft text of letter for Feb. 2, 2006 HPKCC Board consideration per motion by Gary Ossewaarde. Letter as sent was slightly revised for the February 22 Hyde Park Herald.


February 2, 2006

Philip J. Cline
Superintendent
Chicago Police Department
3510 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60653

Dear Superintendent Cline:

The Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference, its Safety, and its Parks Committees join the Bessie Coleman Park Advisory Council in asking that a sustained elevated police presence--specifically a Hot Spot designation, be established for 54th Street and adjacent Drexel, Maryland and Cottage Grove Avenues (detailed below) including Bessie Coleman Park in Beat 2131 of the 21st Police District.

In addition, we ask for prompt appointment of a Community Policing (CAPS) Sergeant, able to work with the Coleman Park Council, to replace deservedly promoted Scott J. Oberg.

In the past year, the area between South Drexel, Maryland and Cottage Grove Avenues, from 55th to 53rd streets, , has gone from being a relatively quiet residential street to a zone dominated by drive-by gunfire, targeted shootings, open drug sales, and loiterers.The daily and nightly loitering tends to occur in Bessie Coleman Park, at the southwest and northwest corners of Drexel and 54th, at 5439 South Drexel and 5425 S. Drexel, at the southwest corner of 53rd and Drexel and at the northwest and southwest corners of 54th and Maryland. The loitering involves disruptively noisy yelling and car-horn blowing. Finally, 14 shooting episodes in West Hyde Park from May through December 2005 have resulted in deaths and severe injuries. Please see the attached listing of West Hyde Park shootings compiled by the South East Chicago Commission.

Since the violence started, the community has organized residents, participated actively in Beat 2131 (not less than 20 of the area’s residents consistently attend beat 2131 meetings), and regularly called both the 21st District Police and the University of Chicago Police when any action occurs.
The community has also formed the Bessie Coleman Park Advisory Council, working with the Chicago Park District to improve the local play lot and to take it back from the drug dealers and gang members. The area aldermen have held well-attended community meetings where residents voiced their concerns and offered ideas to stabilize the neighborhood.

The residents and businesses in the area have demonstrated their concern and willingness to work with the police for the security of their neighborhood. They and the Conference need your help. Again, specifically we need a CAPS Sergeant, an elevated, sustained police presence in west Hyde Park, and to have the area designated and effectively patrolled as a Chicago Police Department “Hot Spot.”

The Conference appreciates designation of the area around 48th and Drexel a Hot Spot. In order to effectively clean up west Hyde Park, the associated problem area surrounding 54th and Drexel needs the same.

Respectfully yours,

George W. Rumsey
President Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference


Cc: 1st Area Commander, 21st Distr. Cdr. Adrienne Stanley, Alderman Leslie Hairston (4th), Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (5th), Park Supervisor Rick Shaheen, Kevin Ryan (Park District police), Peter Cassel (Bessie Coleman Council), Bob Mason (SECC), Hyde Park Herald, Rudy Nimocks (UC Police)

Attached: record of criminal activity in the area

 

Wednesday, November 9 2005 three men were arrested and identified by 6 of the victims of 16 violent muggings in recent weeks. Deandre O'Neal 17 and Darrien Russell 20, and another Russell, cousins who live at the same address in the 300 block of E. 69th, were fingered by their grandmother, who found wallets etc. in her garbage--and called police to return people's missing items. Police of course put two and two together...Both are charged with felonies and will remain in County Jail until their trials. Detective Walsh told the press that coordination between UC and Chicago police made the arrests possible. South East Chicago Commission is confident that this pattern has been busted.
But there was at least one strongarm robber with a large automatic Sat. at dusk Nov. 12 by a home near 57th and Dorchester. A delivery driver was assaulted in the 5200 block of Blackstone. This person was described as extremely savvy as well as bold, mid 30s, fast, parked in a car waiting for a victim. He used only motions, no voice, with much of his face covered. In motion-response to a question he indicated it was credit cards he was after--and he used it for gas before the card company could stop it. And it goes on and on.

Two committed 4 carjack/strongarm robberies, including driving captives to ATMs on the evening of December 12 2005 and were possibly responsible for that of December 10. These ranged over a large part of Hyde Park and Kenwood. Kendal Burke and Timothy Banks, 19 and 20, were captured in early January in what is said to be a great example of two police departments (including the gang and fugitive unit), federal marshals, and citizens working together.

The first carjacking. Tyree Howard turned himself in after his grandmother (living at 55th and Woodlawn) talked him into it after recognizing him on tv from an atm camera shot. The two others have apparently been caught also. The adult claims he just wants to clear it up; the police are sure it's him--fingerprints and dna will tell. The lady was highjacked north of 47th Street trying to locate a parking space (living at 45th and Woodlawn) and was driven around 4 hours from atm to atm--said she couldn't remember the pin number. An alert police sargeant saw the drivers going the wrong way down a one-way street.

Two more captures in December 2005: the man who forced his way into apartments to "use the phone" and tied up and robbed, and the female U of C Hospitals Security officer who pipewhacked and stole from 3 UC students in an alley.

Then December 12 two offenders committed up to 4 carjackings in one evening. No one has been taken into custody and three of the stolen cars have yet to show up.

Top

The South Side has at least two active serial rapists, including active in Hyde Park in October, one of whom has been caught.

2006. The burglary patterns in west Hyde Park and other such continue. Lots of activity-homes and high rises. But this has not yet been tied to one or two sets of repeat burglars. Never buzz or let a stranger in! Keep eyes and ears peeled.

The skinny from local police and SECC is that robberies and other violent crimes are down 40% so far in 2006 but burglaries continue up--at double last year's rate. (46 vs 22, and 25 car thefts v 15 last year in January.) Burglaries are concentrated daytime into early evening.

Major pattern alert. Burglaries-robberies-violent crimes soared on the whole mid South Side (but dropped citywide 3.3%) in summer and fall 2005 after an overall drop (with exceptions!!) in the first half of 2005. (More areal details in paragraphs below, including various patterns. The Third District led the area increase, the 21st which includes HP was in the middle. According to the South East Chicago Commission, September in Hyde Park and Kenwood saw an 80 percent increase in aggravated assaults and robberies (each) over same in 2004 and exceeding all in those classes in 2004. This includes 16 related robberies between Blackstone Ave. and Drexel Ave. from September 20 to the end of October. One person appears to be committing the crimes.-black male c 20yo, 150 lb, blue steel handgun. Part of the problem, SECC says, is turf struggle (and initiation) between local "characters" and others displaced by the CHA reorganization. Strong demands for change in police strategy were voiced at the Beat 2131/2133 meeting October 20 at the Neighborhood Club. Police answered staffing is way down and the drug deals are too smart to foil nowadays. But the police asked people to continue to call in detailed anonymous reports. The city finally put the northern section of the problem area on the gang/narcotics loitering area designation, but failed to make this public until weeks later.

Beware white cars bearing thuggers.

The burglary increase. The Chicago Police Department on Feb. 16 said crime in Chicago in January 2006 went up 11.7 percent over the previous January. In the 21st District, robbery and burglary (10.3 vs city 3.1)went up sharply while theft and criminal sexual assault went down. Duel Richardson of the University said in a Feb. 14 general email (Safety Alertness listhost) that "There has been a sharp increase in reported burglaries throughout Hyde Park--South Kenwood since the beginning of November." There were a monthly average of 42 robberies in HP (actually 21st District?) January to July 2005 and 77 August-December. 683 robberies in all--sixth largest increase in the city.

A U of C guard who behaved normally before she lost much money at a casino, took to assaulting a group of women returning from a party late on a December evening near 57th and Kimbark. She was caught due to quick reporting by neighbors on cell phones and victims willing to positively identify. At her December 4 hearing she was charged by prosecutors and on January 4 indicted by a Grand Jury and charged with 15 counts. She remains in jail, with next court date January 26, and could face up to 30 years in jail.

The University has beefed up security on campus, elsewhere in light of an attack on a student and friend at gunpoint October 27. The attack took place near Botany Pond on the north side of campus. This is part of a pattern robbery, and that person has been captured.

UC Police have concentrated additional squad and bike patrols into the main campus.

___________________________

Some general bits and comments

Avery Wormley of the 6100 block of Cottage Grove was charged with shooting a police officer and aggravated assault with a handgun during narcotics investigation in the in the 6200 block of Cottage Grove Dec. 8. Prison time is considerably longer for the same crime if against a public service officer.

One of the most bizarre local crimes was the ritual decapitation of the statue of Mary, Our Lady of Grace after being hauled by vandals from its pedestal to the door of St. Thomas the Apostle Church. The pastor pointed to aspects of the crime that suggest a Satanic cult ritual.

West edge violent crime continued, along with a new burglary pattern there. Meanwhile robberies and attacks on the street continue in every part of the neighborhood, any time of day.

North Kenwood-Oakland experienced a 20% increase in violent crime sparked by a 90 percent increase in robberies (53 v 28) this year according to Bob Mason to the North Kenwood Oakland Community Conservation Council. Also, the 3rd District, to the south of Hyde Park, experienced the largest spike, especially in robberies, thefts and burglaries, in the city during summer, 2005, although that was a reversal of significant progress during the first half of the year.

Relations with police keep cropping up. What one sees as policemen doing their duty is seen by another as profiling or even murder. There have been at least three incidents in 2004-2005 of police homicides that are at least unclear. Many distrust the Office of Professional Standards, and even the Coroner's Office in honestly reporting and evaluating these matters. Others say the police turn their backs on crime or group loitering.
The Armstrong family has led several marches, including to police headquarters since the shooting of Mr. Armstrong in a drug bust October 10. Armstrong had 3 convictions and 29 arrests and police had a tip he was coming to a corner in his thunderbird. When he arrived and police closed in, he is alleged to have threatened them with a gun. Those who handled his body at the coroner said he had a single wound to the chest and the bullet exiting could have given the impression of an underarm wound (the latter having been cited as maybe meaning his hands were up.)

The police department is facing a staffing crisis from a wave of retirements (involving a vast amount of experience) not being replaced, despite Police and Fire exemption from the July 28 3% across-the-board city budget cut. Residents often say that select foot patrols would do wonders.

Police-the-dots. Superintendent Clyne is putting the resources where the crimes are occurring and the hotspots residents report. Residents are told: call, call, and keep on calling.

August 12 Governor Blagojevich signed legislation taking advantage of federal funds to shut down meth lab operations throughout the state and especially in overwhelmed rural areas that also lack police. The tragedies and heartbreaks being caused by the easy-and-cheap to make drug cannot be overemphasized.

City Council has raised the fine for landlords who ignore citations for abetting/ignoring Gang and Drug House conditions from $500 to $6,000 a day.

What's the truth behind the shooting by police October 10 during a drug bust at c48th and Drexel?

According to the Herald, vastly conflicting accounts are given by police and the family of 25 year old Walter Armstrong. Police were watching the intersection of 49th and Drexel on tip that Armstrong, a convicted drug dealer with 29 arrests, would be arriving for a major deal, in a red Thunderbird. When police in unmarked cars closed in, police say, the driver struck one of the cars, then exited with a semi-automatic pistol, with, according to police, the latter saying, "Police! Drop the gun." They say Armstrong turned and pointed the gun, then another officer fired two shots and struck Armstrong in the chest. The Medical Examiner's Office says Armstrong died of a single gunshot wound to the chest.

One witness says Armstrong could not have been shot in the chest (from the way he was lying), that the gun was too far away from the body to be his, and that three men were running west on 49th. Armstrong's friends and family have been demonstrating at Operation PUSH and the shooting site. Senator Raoul is concerned about accountability--proper and thorough review and that the same reaction be given regardless of who is shooting or shot and whether they are of the same or different races. The police Office of Professional Standards is investigating. Top

Sampler of crimes and hot spots

A largely-attended CAPS beat 2131 and 2132 picnic August 18 in Bessie Coleman Park is reported to have offered mainly sympathy and reasons why more cannot be done. Others viewed the meeting more positively.

Aldermen Hairston and Preckwinkle, the States Attorney's Office, and police brass was present. See coverage in West Hyde Park wave section, below.

On the radar now--including city news media--is the multiple robbery spree, apparently by one very brazen person. He even attacked a couple in Hull Court gate, a main entry to the University of Chicago main campus.

Among the latest disturbing trends are homicides (at least 4), and a burglary trend in the western tier, north of 47th to c. 55th. There were several shootings and homicides this spring and summer in the northwest corner of the neighborhood. Patrols have been stepped up. More and latest. The spate stopped at the end of July, then resumed.

On June 23, a meeting called to establish a gang truce resulted instead in multiple shootings and one homicide (the neighborhood's third in 2005) near 54th and Drexel. No charges were filled against those apprehended as this was called "mutual combat." Officials including Sen. Raoul have been looking into the laws and their consequences and conferring on needs and strategies with the Police Department from the superintendent level down. Patrols have been increased.

Truth is, there has been a gang and crime problem in west Hyde Park since at least the 1940s. The situation is now aggravated by the teardown of CHA and the end of its policy of control by segregating gangs by building and associated street territory.

Some have suggested more of the big cameras--this requires strong endorsement from a community and cost about $10-30,000 each.

Also disturbing is a (maybe double?) burglary pattern in west Hyde Park. One pattern identified by SECC involves forced entries through front doors, another through non-forced access through garages, day and night. The latter is largely of affluent new homes, whose garages (fortunately) are detached from the residence. SECC suggests inventorying garage items and recording their serial numbers and keeping a watch-out.

____________

The Bank One (Kimbark Plaza) robber, Gregory Forrest of St. Louis, MO, has been convicted of this and a flurry of other bank robberies all the way to St. Louis. His 2nd attempt at Bank One ended when he said "Excuse me, ladies, I'm drunk." and he ran away. Hyde Park Bank has a reward out on the unidentified robber, on the loose since May.

The Freehling store robbers of August 16 were caught and linked to many robberies across the city. They were caught from a fingerprint on a collection cup for Katrina victims, from which the former stole.

Be alert traveling the lakefront bike trail. A savvy elderly bike rider was beset in the 3000's by a group of well dressed teens who beat him and stole his bike. Fortunately he was wearing headgear, and with help of others police were quickly summoned and some of the kids apprehended and the bike recovered. A woman was knifed in July.

Then- Police Cdr. Adrienne Stanley said that other neighborhoods are experiencing similar waves of violence. "This is actually going on in all neighborhoods," Stanley said. "In Hyde Park it's actually being reported."

May 14 Hyde Park Bank joined the ranks of local banks robbed in the past year. An unknown, mustached and pony-tailed African-American male c. 45 yo, 180 lbs, dark blue shirt . Passed a note to a teller, claimed to have a bomb and gave a phony number for deactivation. $1,700 was turned over to the robber; no bomb was found.

Nine persons were arrested in a bust of an "open air drug market" (according to the Herald) at Parc Grove apartments, 63rd and Cottage.

A man in the 5700 block of Kimbark was accosted by two youths May 6 in the hallway of his apartment building, forced into his apartment, tied up with cord and towel (over head) and robbed.

A fight between 2 elementary students May 5 escalated into a fight between parents with smashing of windows in 800 block of E. 54th Street.

UC police report the rowdy night-massings near Kozminski School have been calmed and police are monitoring the buses on Lake Park

More on West Hyde Park situation after the following feature. Top

Alderman Hairston on Crime and the CHA and relationship to recent outbreaks. Lack of resources, both service and police

Alderman's Report, Hyde Park Herald, November 9, 2005

I know that many Hyde Parkers were shaken by last week's report of a string of violent armed robberies that occurred in the past month. Coming on the heels of last spring's rash of assaults, these latest events have had an unsettling effect on our neighborhood.

However, while I was also caught off guard by the assaults, I cannot say that I was surprised by the news. The events in Hyde Park reflect a trend that was widely predicted an is now playing out in communities across the South Side as an unintended consequence of the Chicago Housing Authority's Plan for Transformation.

Many of he communities that have received the highest concentrations of relocated CHA residents have also seen significant increases in crime. The 3rd District, which includes portions of the University of Chicago campus and Jackson Park, serves communities that have seen some of the highest concentrations of relocated former CHA residents. As of August, the 3rd District was one of only four districts in the city that saw index crime increase over the summer. Furthermore, the total increase of crime in the 3rd District was greater than the increases in those other districts combined.

And even closer to home, Hyde Park, which is in the 21st District, has seen a dramatic increase in shootings, murders and violence along Cottage Grove, Maryland and Drexel Avenues. By September, The 21st District had seen a 6.7 increase in violent crime over last year.

The Hyde Park Herald attributed some of these crimes to gangs that have been forced out of the CHA and are now fighting to establish a beachhead in the neighborhood. These fights have become vicious because rival gangs are fighting for the ability to sell narcotics instead of just turf.

Since 1999, the Chicago Housing Authority has been engaged in its Plan for Transformation, a laudable $1.6 billion effort to tear down its infamous high rises and replace them with mixed-income developments. Great care has been given to ensure these new developments will work.

Located on the prime real estate along Lake Park Avenue, King Drive, Cottage Grove Avenue and State Street, the new developments will have market rate, affordable and public housing units and will be competitive with other new construction units in the area.

Some of the residents who were relocated out of public housing will be able to move back into the new developments, but to do so they will have to met strict requirements. Those residents who are allowed to move back into the new CHA developments will truly be the sort of neighbors we would all like to have.

But what will happen with the rest of the the the former CHA residents? The CHA demolished most of its high rises long before it began to build any new units. The residents of those high rises were relocated into the neighborhoods where they will likely stay. Furthermore, the only former residents who will have a right to return to public housing will be those who held leases up until the start of the plan in 1999.

Those residents who left public housing before relocation began--a group that represents the majority of former public housing residents-have no right to return. Having been forced out of public housing by the gangs, drugs and neglect that made life t here untenable, they will not have the opportunity to return now that the CHA is working to get things right.

Moreover, while the development portion of the plan has been carefully crafted, other aspect have hot received such full consideration. Though one of the goals of the plan has ostensibly been to rectify many of the acute social issues associated with the deterioration of public housing in Chicago, tools have not been developed to achieve that goal.

The Service Connector is the social service arm of the Plan for Transformation. It is intended to connect former CHA residents with the resources they need to achieve self-sufficiency. The problem is that the program was never fully funded. Service Connector caseworkers maintain a caseload of 55 to 1, while the optimal caseload is 35-1.

As late as 2003, its caseload had been as high as 500 families for every caseworker. Though the Service Connector will work with any resident who walks through the door, it is only responsible for those residents who left during the Pan for Transformation. In South Shore, although the Service Connector is funded to serve about 700 families, nearly 2,900 families have moved into the community using CHA Housing Choice Vouchers.

Participation in the program is strictly voluntary. Former residents are not required to work toward self-sufficiency. As such, many residents only utilize the Service Connector program for crisis management. Residents seek assistance in dealing with problems that arise in th short term, not as part of a strategy to permanently rise above subsistence.

The 10-year Plan for Transformation is currently in its sixth year. To date, there are no provisions to maintain the Service Connector program beyond 2009. After that time the only people who will be CHA residents will be the few who are allowed to move back into the new mixed-income developments. The rest will no longer be the responsibility of the Chicago Housing Authority; they will simply be residents in whatever communities they find themselves living.

Furthermore, while the Plan for Transformation--and the exodus from public housing that immediately preceded it--represented an unprecedented demographic shift both within the city and in surrounding counties, city resources have not been reallocated to reflect the shift. A glaring example of this can be seen in the reallocation of police resources following the disbandment of the Chicago Police Department's Public Housing Units.

Last fall, when the Public Housing Units were dissolved, most of the officers remained in the same districts, even though a significant percentage of the population was relocated to other areas. In a letter to Superintendent Cline dated Oct. 15, 2004, I stated:

"There were issues in our former public housing developments that were serious enough to require police sub-stations to be located within many of the high-rises. It is naive and irresponsible to conclude that because the geography has changed the same problems that existed in public housing would not persist on our streets. These issues have not miraculously disappeared with the demolition of the buildings, they have simply moved, along with the residents, out into my neighborhoods. The only difference is the police are not following them."

More importantly, this lack of resources is having a destabilizing effect on communities across the South Side. while Chicago police are quick to point out that index crime is at record lows in the city, non-index crime in the city is on the rise.

Index crimes fall into two categories: violent crime and property crime. The Chicago Police Department reports these numbers to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to track the general trends in crime because of their seriousness and frequency. But non-index crimes--crimes like prostitution and vandalism--erode the quality of life in a neighborhood.

Even m ore disturbing, s narcotics activity accounted for more than a third of all arrests made in the city of Chicago last year. While not an index crime itself, narcotics activity produces index crime through violence associated with the drug trade.

The issue is a growing concern. Since I took office in 1999, I have demanded that the Chicago police and other city departments allocated additional resources to support the needs of relocated former CHA residents in the communities of my ward. My efforts so far have met with little success. Let me assure you that I will keep fighting for my ward, however. These issues will not go away by themselves.

Few would disagree with the necessity of demolishing the high rises that were trademark of public housing in Chicago. They were a stain on our city's honor. But now we have to recognize our debt to the families that were consigned for generations to that bad idea. We as a city have to provide them the social services they need to give them a fair chance to move forward.

The families that have moved into our areas are here now and many will likely stay. As a community, we have a responsibility to help integrate these new families into the fabric of our neighborhoods. But the responsibility is not ours alone. We have to demand the resources for which our tax dollars pay.

We deserve to have enough police in our neighborhoods to keep us safe. It is a reasonable expectation that all communities should have.

_____________

In the Nov. 23 Herald, Ald. Hairston elaborated: All are welcome in the Ward, police resource must follow the people and problems, but so must social services. South Shore, Woodlawn, Grand Crossing got the largest share of ex-CHA residents but the services are still concentrated not there but at the old Projects.

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West Hyde Park situation

Drexel 4800 block declared Loitering Hot Spot, gets extra attention--but not yet the blocks around 54th and Drexel.

After continued request, one part of the West Hyde Park crime and gang upsurge area has been designated a "loitering hot spot."Police are authorized under Chicago's (revised) Gang Loitering Ordinance to stop suspected gang loiterers in designated areas to move on or risk arrest. In conjunction with the designation in October 2005, both city and UC police have increased patrols and set up "seatbelt checkpoints" as a show of force, according to Cpt. Nathan Hamilton of the 21st District as reported by the Herald. Some at a Nov. 22 CAPS meeting called for foot patrols. It was also noted by the police that most of the activity in that area comes from persons living outside the area.

In September police and SECC identified a burglary pattern throughout west Hyde Park/Egandale, 49th to 54th in streets along Drexel. The party(s) force their ways through front doors or through garage doors (without forced entry there). Meanwhile, the shooting incidents stopped at the end of July, then resumed.

A number of 2005 violent crimes including homicides were concentrated in West Hyde Park-West Kenwood, 47th to 55th Ellis to Cottage Grove. This continued in July despite increased police force (2 groups), community group vigilance, and convening of a task force by Ald. Preckwinkle. The violence ranged from random shooting to a breakout of shooting at a "gang truce" meeting. Three homicides resulted. Observers such as SECC say it's hard to discern a pattern. One factor is thought to be "realignment" of gangs et al. following CHA teardowns. Some say n.e. Washington Park is a gang primary staging area. Police have said there is a rivalry between maverick factions of gangs trying to establish territory and a name.

Police and Ald. Preckwinkle have set up meetings with each other, monthly area meetings for vicinity businesses and residents, and increased patrols. Preckwinkle told the Herald in mid-July, "we've tried to encourage people to cooperate with police and we've tried to get property owners in to meet with police on a one-on-one basis.both the 21st District and the University of Chicago Police are very aware of the problems and are working hard on t hem. It is fair to say that it will take us a while to get a handle on this." UC Police Director Rudy Nimocks said he did not see a connection among the homicides except youth volatility. Robin Kaufman said there is a shortage of alternative activities and places to go for youth. Also, the neighbors of Bessie Coleman Park in the area are organizing a park advisory council- meeting information coming.

Aldermen told the HPKCC Annual Meeting that the spree is ultimately a result of CHA displacement with turf war over drug sales between two gangs, but the proximate cause is a few families that are being removed. Meanwhile residents have formed a neighborhood association that is also the advisory council for Bessie Coleman Park and is determined to "take back" that park. Aldermen are also trying to convince the States Attorney's office to change its approach to prosecutions, hampered by a State Supreme Court ruling.

Shootings May 17-July 28 (seven, not showing: one where no victim was struck!):

Drexel and 54th
Drexel and 47th
Cottage Grove at 53rd
Maryland at 54th
Cottage Grove at 48th
Cottage Grove at 54th
Maryland at 53rd

______________________

Drive-by shooting adds to west Hyde Park violent spree

Hyde Park Herald, August 10, 2005. By Tedd Carrison

A drive-by shooting in the early morning hours of July 28, wounded a teenage girl standing with friends at the corner of 53rd Street and Maryland Avenue. This is the latest in a series of shootings that have echoed through west Hyde Park over the past three months.

A friend of the 16-year-old high school student told police their four-person group was standing on the street corner when a brown sedan approached. The passenger fired four to five shots, one of which grazed the girl in her lower-right torso.

This incident marks the area's eighth shooting since May 17. Four have resulted in death. Executive Director of the South East Chicago Commission Bob Mason said the shootings stem from local gangs vying for power. He said that both the 21st District of the Chicago Police Department and the University of Chicago Police are "focused on that situation fully now." "We have extra patrols in the area and that's been going on since before the end of the school year," said 2st District Commander Adrienne Stanley. She said she is also working closely with U. of C. police and meeting with local building managers to end loitering and other activities that can lead to crime.

Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) said that since April, she has also been organizing meetings with police and property owners. Stanley said that until the recent surge, violence in the area was actually on the decline over the past three years. She expressed surprise at how fervently it has returned.

On Aug. 8., beat 2131 will meet at Bessie Coleman Park, 5445 S. Drexel Ave. at 7 p.m. to discuss the shootings. For more information, call the 21st District at 312 747-8340.

 

Not taking it- Residents demand action after a 3-month shooting pattern. Herald coverage of August 18 meeting

August 24, 2005. By Tedd Carrison

Roughly 50 residents gathered with police officials, two local aldermen and representatives from the Cook County State's Attorney's office at Bessie Coleman Park, 5445 S. Drexel Ave., last week to discuss as recent flare-up of gang violence in the area that has left four dead since May 17.

"We have to take this park back and police are here to assist in that. But we can't do it alone," said then locally based Sgt. Scott Oberg on Aug. 18. Cmdr. Adrienne Stanley then of the 21st Police District said the conflict has stemmed from two gangs, the "Titanic Blackstone's" and the "Mickey Cobras," competing for drug sales in the neighborhood. She touted seven arrests, two warrants, the installation of street-side surveillance cameras and a partnership with the University of Chicago Police Department as the agency's latest efforts to curb the violence.

Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) questioned a representative of Cook County State's Attorney Dick Devine about charges dismissed in a June 23 gang-related murder in the 5300 block of south Maryland avenue. During this incident, police said, Phillip Cadwell, 18, was killed by gunfire between two gangs initially meeting to form a truce. Prime suspect and rival gang member Edward Washington, 21, was struck in the leg during the shoot-out but his injury was not life threatening.

Robert Heilingoetter, deputy supervisor of the felony review unit of the State's Attorney's office explained the ambiguity surrounding who fired first prevented prosecutors from meeting the burden of proof necessary in a criminal trial. Therefore, the State's Attorney dropped the charges against Washington citing "mutual combat." "So you've got a victim and you've got both sides pointing the finger at the other," said Heilingoeter. "It's impossible to resolve that issue."

He said prior to 2001, Illinois law would charge both sides in a mutual combat situation, but that year a state supreme court ruling undermined this "theory of accountability" and pr vented these cases from going to trial. A resident expressed discontent with that decision and asked if Washington could be brought up on a lesser weapons charge.

Heilingoetter said that first degree murder has no statute of limitations and if new witnesses or evidence emerge, Washington could be charged no matter the length of investigation. Conversely, if he were charged with weapons possession, the state's attorney is given only 120 days to produce all other charges pertaining to that incident. Heilingoetter said if a murder case cannot be made, Washington will eventually be brought up on other charges. He did not specify how long this would take or what those charges would be.

Resident response to the meeting was mixed. Many appreciated the efforts of the police department but still expressed frustration. "It's hard to say things have gotten better in the past few years when there have been this many shootings in the past two months," said west Hyde Parker Luke Brown.

Audra Rudys said she feels the police are doing all they can and would like to see more community involvement. She called this the true "indicator of progress."

Residents were also dissatisfied with Stanley's announcement that west Hyde Park was not designated a gang/narcotics loitering are by the Chicago Police Department and therefore patrols would not be as stringent. The commander said she has applied for the distinction in the past and it has been denied. She said the areas that are approved are "a thousand times worse" than Hyde Park.

When asked what she would like to see come from community meetings like the one Aug. 13, Bessie Coleman neighbor May Ellerbee said simply "I'd like the gangs to quit being gangs."

 

From the September 30 Chicago Maroon

Article by Hassan S. Ali. Spate of shootings shakes Hyde Park, Summer crime prompts increased patrol.

4 died and 4 were injured in 11 shootings May 9 to July 28. Bob Mason of SECC told the Maroon, "It's a rivalry between two groups of individuals, one that hangs out around 48th and Drexel, and the other that hangs out around 53rd and Maryland. They've been warring back and forth." Drug selling turf was at stake and the the police have targeted that, according to Mason.

During August and September the violence appears to have calmed down, according to the article.

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What some residents, others say about all this (see above Ald. Hairston on crime and CHA)

Susan Weiss said in the Herald, get to the root of the gun violence--what's different this year that isn't accounted for by the post CHA turmoil, concentrate on social services second.

Maryal Stone Dale told the Herald that the carjack kidnapping is a wake up call. None of the powers that be are working well any more, and they'd better be or the neighborhood will go down fast. Students and resid net need to be taught how to act in a city neighborhood.

 

 

Spring 2005 After the rash of youth attacks in late winter-spring 2005

In the first week of May, the "senseless" teen and other attacks continued largely in abatement, except for an attack by 2 youth May 4 on a 43 year-old man- one youth local, the other from Austin- both caught and possibly the in-building robbery of a man by two youths. But youth-on-youth robberies continued (almost all solved, lots of arrests) and some general strong-arm robberies continued- including a break-in in a building in which at resident was tied up. Police Alerts were issued on these matters.

Problems with unruly and unlawful-activity congregations at Kozminski playlot and nearby have been brought under control, this reporter was told by the head of UC Police. On the other hand there are strong complaints about loiterers at the 51st St. Metra station.

Many are disturbed at the conflation of 1) disagreement over appropriate customer policies especially as they involve teen behavior, 2) general relationships of youth (some living in the community and others not) and community residents and business people, 3) A whole set of problems with 53rd and its cross streets, 4) the 'wilding' incidents by youth, 5) general issues (not entirely related to each other) with robberies, drugs, gangs, and panhandling. Also, it became evident to HPKCC board members that many of the basic facts regarding recent attacks need to be clarified.

One matter is how many Kenwood students are really involved--as of May 4 it was 13 arrested in 4 incidents in a school of 1700. But the total arrested is now in the 40s, and we are dependent on what students say regarding which school (if any) they attend and what police officers put in their report. There are so many youths from outside the area just coming to visit around safer Kenwood school at noon and after school and 3/5 to 70 some percent of Kenwood students come openly from outside the area or lie that they live in the Kenwood attendance areas. Note that a high proportion of the high performers also come from outside, but many students are forced or attracted to Kenwood as other schools are closed under No Child Left Behind.

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Update of actions, recommendations from the May 19 Chamber workshop

At the third Business to Business Security workshop, the Chamber of Commerce announced it will not recommend business place signs of rules in windows.

Other suggestions proposed by the meeting:

Residents reported at the May 19 Chamber workshop that McDonald's is calm though crowded at noontime now.

Here is what Kenwood Academy reports it is doing to ameliorate problems (per vice principal at May 19 Chamber workshop):

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At the April 21 CAPS meeting of beats 2131 and 2133 the following was reported.

First, there have been none of these kinds of incidents since April 6. This is about the time two assemblies were held at Kenwood Academy spelling out what happens to one arrested doing these random attacks. There have been unrelated robberies since, with the robbers taken into custody. We should also keep in perspective that the crime statistics are way down from a few short decades ago (visit Public Safety). And it is untrue to say this is just or even primarily a Kenwood problem.

Facts and breakdowns: For 39 incidents, 33 teens were arrested/caught in act, responsible for at least 13 of the incidents. 24 of the 33 were aged 13 to 16. Groups of youth doing the assaults ranged in size from 2 to 8. 10 arrested were Kenwood students, the rest were not including the 3 girls who attacked a woman with a baby. Of the Kenwood students 8 were male, 2 female. There was no evidence of gang association. Boredom was given for the reason, and the youth did not seem to know the seriousness of what they did. 15 incidents occurred between 51st and 53rd, Woodlawn to Lake Park.

What was done: School assemblies. Meeting of all area principals convened. Arrested students suspended, in process of expulsion. Area saturated with Chicago and UC police including undercover.

In early May, opinion seemed to be dividing into those who take the matter very seriously and want it taken care of where they see or infer it comes from, mainly Kenwood Academy, and those who think there is overreaction, we should look for global measures to fix this, and that Kenwood has disproportionately caught the blame.

_____________

Other citizen reports and queries at the CAPS meeting:

Reports of continuous loud, rowdy youth gatherings, drug sales at Kozminski playlot and along Maryland, Cottage Grove from 52nd to 53rd and 53rd Drexel. Special attention is being paid, including to signage, undercover surveillance, enforcement of curfew hours. A complaint was made about profiling and random stops.

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_________________________________

Keeping perspective: what are we to make of this outbreak?

by Gary Ossewaarde, HPKCC board member and secretary. Views of James Withrow, HPKCC board member and vice president, follow.

Overall, 40 attacks by teenage groups from January 31 to April 6 resulted in 33 teenage arrests, according to Bob Mason of SECC, 28 being between 14 and 16 years. Victims were mostly single males but include a group of out of town tourists, a woman with a baby, and a UC coffee store. A high proportion happened between 10:30 am and 2 pm. 10 of the arrestees were Kenwood students (more perpetrators may have been, but students of other schools or no schools were heavily involved). But many incidents were in the late afternoon. Locations were concentrated between Woodlawn and Lake Park, 51st to 54th but as far north at 47th and beyond and 56th to 59th. Disturbing according to Mason was the nonchalant attitude of the arrested teens. Meetings have been held between police, businesses and Kenwood administration (facilitated by Ald. Preckwinkle) and Kenwood assemblies and discipline have already started. There were no incidents after April 6. Also disturbing to many is that this comes at the time of other conflicts (and hope for resolution) between businesses and youth and may further widen the gulf between youth and the rest of the community. Exacerbating that is fallout from the arrest and demonstration over a student-designated section at McDonald's and the trashing of a candy store that posted "3 students at a time."

About the teen violence. Only 10 of the 33 arrested were Kenwood students. Other schools have not been revealed. Residents nonetheless make a connection with other problems with Kenwood and Kenwood youth.

Some have called for quick-stop and merciless prosecution, especially since at least some of the attacks were at least potentially life-threatening including to the perpetrators. Others have pointed out that putting youth in the adult criminal justice system cuts them off from interventions, derails a productive life, and sets them up (if they survive) to go the the "graduate school for thugs." There is too long a time between a crime and, assuming the perpetrators are caught at all, when they see that there are any, even weak consequences for their action!

Others have disagreed over whether we are being too quick to point to call for changes at Kenwood--this seems to be a close call that calls for more light, in this writer's opinion. Kenwood's serious problems, including a sense that the student body is not under control, a considerable portion are not performing, and perhaps that there is division and an alienation from toward this community on the part of the many students from outside the area, including required transfers from poor performing schools. (And there is much hostility toward Hyde Park and the University on the outside, justified and not; some of this may well rub off and come to school, strengthened by intra school rivalries and maybe the gang ethos.)

The community really doesn't know enough to judge: We need a dispassionately-conveyed reality check from Kenwood and other schools. And clearly more after school and community-based programs. One resident active in teen programs pointed out the lack of even basketball courts in most of the neighborhood.
__________________

Community safety and community relations have become front burner issues in Hyde Park and Kenwood HPKCC pointed out in the winter issue of our Reporter growing perception of crime, only in part from teens, especially along 53rd and its cross streets. The main action of our board since was to meet in December with Bob Mason, SECC Executive Director and in March with Hank Webber, University of Chicago Vice President of Community Affairs. Our board expressed strong concern about increases in crime, teen violence, and threatening conditions on 53rd Street. Members related personal unpleasant and threatening experiences and the growing number of similar experiences relayed by members. The board also noted the, frankly, lead role of the University in setting the tone and conditions in the whole neighborhood and the critical and generally positive effect of the University of Chicago Police Department.

In April Mr. Webber, the University and the South East Chicago Commission issued community alerts. In this writer’s opinion, the alerts, if a bit late, were calm and set forth facts, actions that have been taken, and what citizens can do to stay safe. Some have found the alerts alarmist and racially offensive. Media, especially city and national, saw fit to play the matter as a front-page and unique crisis, ignoring other areas where criminal and threatening behavior are much more prevalent and blackening our essentially sound neighborhood and the whole Kenwood Academy student body.

The particularly alarming—apparently most unusual—series of random teenage attacks came to a halt in early April due in large part to increased police coverage and tactics, arrests of 33 teens, 10 being Kenwood students, a series of assemblies and suspensions and expulsion proceedings in Kenwood and other schools, meetings of officials and police with school officers, and doubtless citizen caution.

As reported in media and at the April CAPS police beat citizen meetings, one of the most disturbing aspects of the teen attacks is the unconcerned, “blasé” attitude of arrested perpetrators and statements by teens, involved in the incidents and not, that they were bored, pent-up for hours in school, and “thirsty” for something to do. The search for rank or status was also a factor, as relayed by teens themselves.

Many citizens, and elected officials, who spoke up at the Beat 2131/2133 meeting at the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club (perhaps the most heavily attended ever) and at the April 23 town meeting held by state Representative Barbara Currie and state Senator Kwame Raoul (see a somewhat different report of the later below) wanted a stop to the recent attacks. But citizens and officials also reflected that raising youth to have responsibility and respect is very difficult. Denial, thinking it’s “not my kid,” overprotecting on the one hand or condemning all teens on the other, or expecting schools to carry most of the load of raising kids were generally thought to be unhelpful. Suggested were: providing real and swift consequences for unacceptable behaviors—but keeping these within the juvenile, not adult, corrective system, “adoption” and mentoring of youthful offenders by religious congregations, more social services, more recreational facilities and useful things to do, and counters to influences from negative elements in modern culture (a concern also echoed at the recent U of C conference on Hip-Hop).

Police recounted that at assemblies they pointed out to youth the dire trajectory and outcomes for youth who go down the wrong path: These activities are not games and won’t be tolerated. Police were sympathetic but unlikely to act on suggestions that foot patrols be increased so that police could personally get to know and guide, at least deter, youth and others. All hoped the present outbreak has come to and will stay at an end, but realize that problems of which this is symptomatic require more serious and ongoing attention. Our legislators are implementing or looking at a number of reforms to the justice and social services systems.
___________________

To put things in perspective, even this year’s crime statistics show much less crime in the area than a few years ago—one wonders how we coped then, and the current state of concern and anger arose from several distinct but intertwined problems, some long-term, some new, some localized and some neighborhood- and city-wide. Yes, they came to a head with the outbreak of attacks and “wildings” and with an arrest, of a student at McDonald’s for being outside the “student area,” that called attention to youth behavior and relations with businesses and adults in general.

But residents for years have been bringing up at CAPS meetings their problems with rowdy, often drug-selling, night crowds of youth and young men on the corners, parks and schoolyards, particularly but far from exclusively in the western part of the neighborhood—which took up half the time at the April 21 CAPS meeting. Similarly complaints or alerts are of long standing about “patterns” and “spikes” in robberies and burglaries, behaviors of groups and individuals both on 53rd Street and adjacent Harper Avenue, and behavior of Kenwood students over a large part of the neighborhood during their noon breaks, both on the street and inside businesses—far from all, but a involving a much larger Kenwood student body proportion than were involved in the attacks (which had precedents starting months or years ago- some aver since the school opened).

Separate sections and rules for students or juveniles should be a last resort, but as Alderman Hairston said at the April 23 town meeting, such rules don’t appear for no reason, and rules and expectations for good behavior are evidently necessary. This writer applauds the call by University of Chicago professor Melissa Harris-Lacewell and others for a “covenant” of expected behaviors and respect between teens and business proprietors. Several businesses now successfully serve large numbers of students during the lunch hours without problems. “Closing” the Kenwood campus will probably be visited, but the wisdom and practicality of this is problematic. The HPKCC Schools Committee is considering Kenwood’s issues and future direction.

Even as the recent outbreak ends and is, it is hoped, replaced by serious address of youth in society, we need to give similar consideration of causes, dynamics and solutions to general crime, drugs and gangs, and the homeless in our community and beyond and to address amelioration of 53rd Street.

 

HPKCC to Promote Civil Behavior on 53rd St.

by James Withrow, HPKCC board member and vice president

The recent spate of assaults near the 53rd Street business district has sadly affirmed the Conference's interest in the deterioration of civil behavior in that area. The Conference Board will discuss this issue in early May in an effort to find our place in ending the assaults and stemming stereotyping of teenagers by businesses, residents and local authorities.

Late last year, several Conference directors expressed concerns about a worsening social environment. In December, Bob Mason from the South East Chicago Commission took the time to talk with a group of us
about those concerns, but, at that time, the crime statistics didn't reveal anything untoward. Hank Webber, the university's Vice-President for Community Affairs, attended our March Board of Directors meeting and
answered our questions for over an hour. Again, complaints were made about safety in our business district and again it was pointed out that the crime statistics weren't showing anything unusual.

A few days later, I encountered Webber and he expressed a great deal of concern over perceptions by residents that 53rd Street was unsafe. He was now of the opinion that hostile activities were underway
that weren't being reported as crimes. As we all know now, plenty of crimes were then reported in late March.

Apparently, the worsening social climate led some businesses to change how they treated teenagers at lunch time, including a separate seating area at McDonald's. On March 31st, a high school student found no seats available in the separate area and took a table in the regular area. When McDonald's security personnel told her to move to the student area, she refused. McDonald's called the police and City of Chicago
officers handcuffed her and returned her to Kenwood High School. Promoting civil behavior along 53rd Street means ending physical assaults and verbal harassment, but not at the cost of stereotyping all teenagers as troublemakers. The Conference will seek to find its role to play, perhaps developing a covenant among teenagers, business people, residents, and the authorities.

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From quote and paraphrase of (limited sampling of) aldermanic assessments and feelings

'Both Hairston and 4th Ward Ald. Toni Preckwinkle's Chief of Staff Al Kindle complained that area schools have been inundated with students from across the city bringing an element unfamiliar to the neighborhood, as Chicago Public Schools implements its own Renaissance 2010 plan and federal No Child Left Behind mandates. "We are not New Jack City," said Kindle, a former gang expert. "The university put out an alert to their students which cast broad shadow over the Hyde Park and Kenwood area, broader than it needed to be. Many of the problems we had already begun to address because we saw the numbers in January. Though there is a need for us to be cautious and a need for us to watch, there is a need for us to engage these children."

Kindle said the alderman had met with "department officials and coordinated with Ald. Leslie Hairston and that is how we caught the kids that were doing this." Both from Herald April 27.

Note that Ald. Hairston made it clear that she believed the attacks were totally unacceptable while the business restrictions don't come from nowhere--the teen behavior was not acceptable and we have to look plainly at our own kids. Rep. Currie also said there is a tendency in this neighborhood to deny or react protectively to those accused of ill behavior.

Following is the official University of Chicago public crime update alert of April 12, 2005, issued by Hank Webber, vice president, Office of Community and Government. Includes how to subscribe to UC security alert listserve or to reply to the update or to contact South East Chicago Commission. The communication can also be read at http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/050414/security-letter.doc
University crime alert listserve subscription: http://listhost.uchicago.edu/mailman/listinfo/safety-awareness

For a full range of background, safety discussions, tips, and contact information see our HPKCC Public Safety page. See also CAPS News. On concern about youth, business youth policies and calls for a closed campus at Kenwood Academy see Business and Students/Youth page.

Later on this page is news of not quite recent personal and burglary crime spikes.

Date: Tues, 12 Apr 2005 06:46:11 -0500 (CDT)

To: "University Community"
From: "Hank Webber, Vice President, Office of Community and Government Affairs <hwebber@uchicago.edu>"
Reply-to: crime-update@listhost.uchicago.edu
Subject: Crime Update


I am writing to provide a progress report on a very unusual series of assaults that has taken place in Hyde Park over the last several months and to tell you about the ways we are working with the city, elected officials, and local schools to end it.

As you know, this is a striking aberration during a period of many years in which crime has been steadily declining in Hyde Park. I want to assure you that we have made it the highest institutional priority to bring these attacks to an end as quickly as possible.

As reported in our security alerts and in local newspapers and television coverage, since Jan. 31 there have been more than three dozen incidents throughout Hyde Park, at various times of the day and night, in which generally lone males have been attacked and beaten by groups of young men.

Working with the city police, our University police officers have by now arrested 33 individuals who were responsible for at least 13 of these cases. The vast majority of those arrested are between the ages of 14 and 16. None of these assaults has occurred on the university's campus, but they have occurred in our neighborhood, and at least one victim has been seriously injured.

I am very appreciative of the success the police have so far had in making arrests. But we are nonetheless redoubling our efforts with the police, elected officials and local schools to bring these incidents to a rapid end. These actions include the following:

* Both the University and the city are assigning extra regular and plain-clothes officers to the affected areas.

* We will maintain communication with Alderman Preckwinkle, Alderman Hairston, and local school officials who are aggressively monitoring activities.

* This will be an important part of the discussion at upcoming CAPS meetings including this Thursday, April 14, at 7 p.m. at Regents Park (5050 East End), Thursday, April 21st at 7 p.m. at the Hyde Park
Neighborhood Club (5480 S. Kenwood), and Tuesday, April 26 at 6 p.m. at >Harris Bank (47th and Drexel).

* I will hold special meetings for students and members of the university community on Monday, April 18 at 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday, April 19 at 12:30. Both will take place in room 109 of the Biological Sciences Learning
Center.

* We will continue to post security alerts and advisories about this until the events end. The campus and community can subscribe to the security alert system at:
http://listhost.uchicago.edu/mailman/listinfo/safety-awareness
I strongly urge everyone to take advantage of this alert system.

If you would like further information about the alert or other aspects of this effort, I encourage you to contact Bob Mason of the South East Chicago Commission, at 324-6926 or secc@forward.net. He will be happy to provide you with the latest information on the work that our community is doing to resolve this issue.

As always, I encourage you to note the location of the blue emergency >phones in your area, and to call 911 any time you see or hear something you think the police should be aware of.

I want to reiterate that working with other institutions to end these >crimes is my highest priority. Together, we will help Hyde Park quickly resume the steady improvement in quality of life that has made it an
increasingly desirable community in which to live, learn, and raise our families.

Sincerely,

Hank Webber
Vice President for Community and Government Affairs

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Letter from the South East Chicago Commission

Hyde Park Herald, April 20, 2005. By Robert C. Mason, Executive Director

Community is taking steps to combat crime

A very unusual series of assaults and robberies have occurred in Hyde Pak since Jan. 31. The South East Chicago Commission is working with the city, Ald. Toni Preckwinkle, Ald. Leslie Hairston, local school administrators and of course Chicago and University of Chicago Police to bring it to an end.

This series of violent crime is a very unusual occurrence in the community. Violent crime in Hyde Park has decreased in six of the past eight years.

I am sure that by now you have seen coverage of these violent crimes in the Hyde Park Herald, city wide newspapers, television news, as well as University of Chicago security alerts. To date, the 30 attacks have occurred throughout Hyde Park at various times of day and night. Generally, lone males have been assaulted by groups of young men. The Chicago and University of Chicago Police have arrested 33 teenage individuals who wire responsible for at least 13 of these incidents. The majority of the arrestees are between the ages of 14 and 16.

The Chicago and University of Chicago Police have done an outstanding job in arresting those responsible for the attacks. We must continue to work with the police , elected officials and school administrators to bring these crimes to a halt. The actions that are being taken include:

I am confident that all of us working together will bring and end to this pattern of lawless activity and the neighborhood will then return to normal and resume a decreasing crime rate.

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Letter from Kenwood Principal Arthur Slater

Hyde Park Herald, April 20, 2005: Students who engage in violence will not continue at Kenwood

These past few weeks have been very stressful for the students, teachers and administrators at Kenwood Academy. College acceptances continue to go well with Kenwood students being accepted to Harvard, Howard and the University of Chicago. We expect this round of standardized testing to confirm the progress our students have been making across the board.

However, a number of Kenwood students have been arrested. A series of deeply troubling attacks and robberies have occurred in our community. Students from a number of schools have been arrested, as well as young people who are not presently enrolled in any school.

I recently had the distressing experience of speaking with a neighbor I have known for many years about an incident where she was robbed. That incident led to the arrest of three of my students. As a long time resident of Hyde Park, I understand and share the widespread concern these episodes have caused.

No student who engaged in any of these acts will continue his or her education at Kenwood. We will enforce the rules evenhandedly in order to protect the community and the majority of our students who have not engaged in any misbehavior.

I am grateful for the hard work of the city of Chicago Police, the University of Chicago Police and the South East Chicago Commission. together we have delivered a clear message to our young people. Their education requires good citizenship and appropriate behavior.

In return, I am frankly asking the community not to judge our students by the acts of a few. Those arrested have been on the front page and will appear there again and again. The students who have continued to work at the school, at home and in the community do not get the same attention. Please do not forget Eric Willis, a remarkable young man from Kenwood who will be honored by the South East Chicago Commission on May 3 for performing over 1,100 hours of community service.

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Hyde Park Herald coverage, editorial April 20, 2005

By Nykea Woods

Teen violence roils Hyde Park peace...residents seek answers at CAPS meeting

Numerous random teen assaults and robberies drove concerned residents into a packed Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy meeting at Regents Park, 5050 S. Lake Shore Dr., last week. Since Jan. 31, 33 teen have been arrested in connection with a string of 40 robberies and assaults that have plagued the neighborhood.

"What concerns me is where is this coming from?" Hyde Park resident Becky Ruben asked representatives from the Chicago Police Department. "What are we doing to get at the root of this?"

Sgt. Scott Oberg of the 21st District said police are unaware of the motives behind the violence. He added that he heard of a game called "point and knockout," in which one teen points out a victim and another attacks. He said the teens arrested were working independently of each other and that the attacks are not gang related. He said some of the suspects have no gang affiliation and no prior arrests.

Bob Mason, executive director of South East Chicago Commission, said several of the attacks have occurred during daylight hours. The Herald reported last week that on April 6 an undercover University of Chicago police officer spotted seven teenagers beat a man as he walked down the street in the 1200 block of East 52nd Street around noon. The day before, two female teenagers attacked a woman with the assistance of a 17-year-old male lookout in the 4800 block of South Dorchester Avenue as she pushed her child in a stroller just before 2 p.m.

Ten of those arrested, including the two female suspects are from Kenwood Academy. [At the April 21 CAPS meeting we were told the attackers of the woman with a child were not from Kenwood.] "We know it is not the entire Kenwood [Academy] population. We also have elementary school students doing this," Oberg said.

Chicago and University of Chicago police, Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) and area schools are working together to bring order to the neighborhood, Oberg said, mentioning a meeting of area principals April 29. "We don't want this to spread out, obviously," Oberg said.

Both the Chicago and University of Chicago police departments have held assemblies recently with Kenwood students explaining that acts of violence and robbery will not be tolerated. "What you think is a cavalier sporty thing to do is a serious crime and in some instances a felony," U. of C. Police director Rudy Nimocks said. He advised attendees to call police if they see a teen acting suspiciously.

Oberg said that those teenagers who have been arrested tend to have an aloof attitude. He recalled several weeks ago when seven teens were brought into the 21st District police station for processing, they acted unconcerned with their impending charges. "They didn't think they did anything wrong," Oberg said.

Kenwood students arrested were immediately suspended from school for 10 days, Nimocks said. Kenwood's administration has also taken steps to expel the students. According to Nimocks, parents of some of the students are trying to fight the expulsion.

Kenwood Assistant Principal William McClellan said the school has a zero tolerance policy toward violence. He said students who commit crimes are subject to suspension, expulsion or emergency transfer. Problem students who commit a serious crime can be transferred to another school.

McClellan went on to say that the teen assaults were acts of cowardice. "You don't go and rob a mother. You don't surround a man because he looks like he's not going to hit, he's not going to fight back," he said. McClellan believes that one of the causes of the violence is peer pressure because some ten take what other ten say, like being "punked" or weak, seriously.


Youth spree ups violent crime rate 29%

Violent crime in Hyde Park jumped nearly 29 percent during the first three months of 205 due to recent sprees of robberies an assaults. Compared with the same period last year, the South East Chicago Commission (SECC) reported last week an increase in robberies, assaults, murders and sexual assaults, including a spree of about 40 unprovoked random acts of violence perpetrated by teenagers.

SECC Executive Director Bob Mason said the statistics are disappointing. Every week the SECC tabulates a "snapshot" of area crime and reports it to the Chicago and University of Chicago police.

In February, the Herald reported an armed robbery crime pattern by a pair of men dubbed the "older crew" by Mason. So far, police have arrested two men in conjunction with the pattern.

In recent weeks, police have nabbed 33 juveniles, aged 13 to 19, considered responsible for the random batteries occurring around the neighborhood. Some of those batteries ended up as robberies, police said. Ten Kenwood Academy students were among those arrested. Last week's CAPS meeting at Regent's Park addressed the issue of unprovoked teen assaults. "Certain people are not being targeted, they are just random acts," Sgt. Scott Oberg said. Victims have varied in age and race. SECC reports that in 39 incidents of battery, eight victims were African American, eight were Asian and the rest were white.

Robberies and aggravated assaults are driving the violent crime numbers so far this year, Mason said. Neighborhood robberies are up 37 percent, with 62 incidents reported this year compared to 45 by this time last year, and aggravated assaults are up nearly 14 percent. Of the 62 reported robberies, Mason said 35 percent of the robberies were committed by teens.

"The groups of teens attacking people have really pushed those numbers up," he said. [For] the 39 reported teen batteries and robberies, 33 teens have been arrested. According to Mason, only one teen was charged for two separate attacks.

The SECC connects the "older crew," Johnnie Harrison and Calvin Johnson, to nine robberies. On March 28, Harrison and Johnson were arrested by University of Chicago police as they attempted to rob a U. of C. employee. Bail was denied for the two men. Johnson, a parolee, was charged with four counts of armed robbery and one count of aggravated robbery. Harrison was charged with three counts of armed robbery and one count of aggravated robbery.

The good news is that overall crime in the neighborhood is down nearly 8 percent, with homicide down 59 percent, thefts down nearly 17 percent and motor vehicle thefts down nearly 2 percent. Mason said he should be happy about that but he is not.

"The only good thing about this [report] is that burglaries are down 21 percent," Mason said. Compare to last year, there have been 14 fewer reported burglaries this year. There have been two reported sexual assault incidents, compared to one last year.


Editorial: This is not a game

For three months Hyde Park has erupted in what can only be described as a firestorm of adolescent fury... Police are dumbfounded. Nobody understands the motive behind the attacks. Robbery doesn't appear to be the motive. There seems t be no racial motive either......Offenders are allegedly using sticks and clubs, along with their fists and feet, to beat their victims. Most of the victims are males in their 20s, but some teenagers and one man as old as 62 were also assaulted...

According to investigators, the general attitude of the teenagers perpetrating the incidents is "blase." What's behind this sudden rash of violence has kept many guessing.... Bob Mason... is no discounting the influence of gangs on recent cases....In March, 2004... students from Kenwood and Hyde Park Career Academy were engaged in days of fighting during lunch periods and after school that many have been gang-related. ...

...What's behind their actions? Who knows. Sources of frustration, according to some adults, are found in pop culture, in today's music, in violent video games, in movies and on TV. The University of Chicago just hosted a conference targeting the misogynous nature of some of today's hip-hop music. But media is a tired scapegoat. It's not an answer bewildered parents can be satisfied with.

In striving to understand the source of this vicious behavior, the Herald has decided to go to the source of adolescent angst, teenagers themselves. ... Three teenagers told reporters that they are "thirsty." Thirsty for knowledge? No. They are thirsty for something to do. They have pent up energy, as youthful men and women often do, and some admitted that if the Herald's reporters were not around, they would jump some random passerby just for an activity.

Not surprisingly, some teenagers blamed their parents for not giving them enough to do. Supposedly the answer to all this hostility is summed up in one word: boredom.

Add another word: status. Some teenagers, especially the men, admitted that if they jump someone, regardless of whether they know the victim or not, their status at school improves among their peers. It sounds like prisoners trying to prove something to each other while incarcerated.

If randomly attacking people who happen to be on the street with you is a way of gaining status among your peers, then the answer is to send those arrested to jail and change the status. This is not a game: it is a grave threat to the stability of this community. This behavior is not acceptable on any terms. And these teenagers need to learn that in the harshest possible way.

 

Teen quotes. We have no way of knowing whether those "interviewed" by and quoted in the Herald April 20 are at all representative of Kenwood or other teens. We also have no way to tell how well reported or typical the "lingo" is.

"People thirsty. People want money. Some .... have been doing stuff...for a long time. Look out. It started last year."

"These are the smart kids getting kids who ain't dumb who ain't broke."

"..... everybody don't be included in on it. But I can tell you, you can blame the school because it's been going on for a long time. The principal...don't have the school under control"

"We are in school for six hours and we have to come out. When we get out of school from six hours straight working, working, working, we wanna see our friends.

"It's all about rank, like popularity, like respect."

"You're bored. You ain't got nothing else to do. You drunk. You high. You wanna play on somebody."

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Teen attacks dominate legislators' town hall

Hyde Park Herald, April 27 2005. By Jeremy Adragna

Illinois House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie (D-25) and Sen Kwame Raoul (D-13) met with residents [April 23] to discuss recent legislation in Springfield but the conversation turned quickly to a rash of random attacks happening throughout the neighborhood.

The message from most was that despite national news coverage of the attacks, there was a need to keep those few that have been involved into attacks from falling into the state prison system. Many offered suggestions including 5th Ward Ald. Leslie Hairston to redirect [teens'] energy into after school programs, which she asked the two legislators to help fund.

Steven Crawford, a child therapist said that last year he witnessed a crime by Kenwood students in front of his home and earlier t his week was expected to attend the first court case in the matter. "This is a growing problem in the Hyde Park area. The incident that I witnessed happened last summer and this is how long these juveniles have been doing whatever they are doing instead of going to school," Crawford said. "You do not get treatment in the criminal justice system. When you transfer kids to the state system, you are sending them to the graduate school for criminality."

Flynn [sic] Currie said she worries that if a trend continues among county prosecutors to send young criminals, like the 10 Kenwood students arrested recently, to state prisons simply to save money that the severity of crime in the area will remain the same. [She pointed out that a law passed a few years ago to provide intervention funds proportionate to proportion of kids kept in the community is starting to reverse the incentive.]

"Justice delayed is justice denied," Flynn Currie said. "The evidence is that those kids that stay in the community are less likely to be repeat offenders than the kids that go off to the slammer and learn the [crime] trade."

Both Hairston and 4th Ward Ald. Toni Preckwinkle's Chief of Staff Al Kindle complained that area schools have been inundated with students from across the city bringing an element unfamiliar to the neighborhood, as Chicago Public Schools implements its own Renaissance 2010 plan and federal No Child Left Behind mandates. "We are not New Jack City," said Kindle, a former gang expert. "The university put out an alert to their students which cast broad shadow over the Hyde Park and Kenwood area, broader than it needed to be. Many of the problems we had already begun to address because we saw the numbers in January. Though there is a need for us to be cautious and a need for us to watch, there is a need for us to engage these children."*

Kindle said the alderman had met with "department officials and coordinated with Ald. Leslie Hairston and that is how we caught the kids that were doing this."

*Some residents have reacted critically to the comments in this paragraph as blaming at once outside students for the crimes and the University's alert, and taking the perpetrators' side and evading the problems.

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Principals meeting touches on the teen violence, says Kenwood getting bum rap, better communication between schools, police and community be developed. Students need to know their responsibilities in the community

Principals public and private meet every other month. This was on April 29, 2005.

Police and principals objected to community perception that Kenwood students were the principal teens involved in the recent assaults. 21st District Community Policing officer Sgt. Scott Oberg was reported to say Kenwood is getting a bad rap because only 10 of 33 arrests were of Kenwood students and elementary students were forgotten. This is hardly surprising in that the police have not released the other schools except Canter Middle (3 arrestees) - perhaps the remaining 19 (less the 1 not in school) were elementary and some not in school? Oberg and Ald. Preckwinkle suggested improved communication between schools, police and community.

Preckwinkle is quoted in the Herald: "My concern is everybody work together to see the connection between schools and the neighborhood." She and the police discussed services police could provide to schools to deal with troubled students and impress on students the seriousness of conduct. The latter was echoed by Kozminski principal Lionel Bordelon: students need to know their responsibilities in the community.

Among services available, according to 21st District Commander Adrienne Stanley, are Walking School Bus, Crossing Guards, Police Explorers, Preventative, States Attorney Mock Trials, Peer Jury, and D.A.R.E (has a section at Kenwood).

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Kenwood fights back on perception while teen-on-teen attacks continue:
Teen-on-teen attacks mount, reports Herald May 11

By Nykeya Woods

Although ten perpetrated violence in Hyde Park has slowed down, there has ben an increase in teen-on-teen attacks according to reports from the South East Chicago Commission. In five out of the six incident since April 16, teens aged 13 to 17 have been robbed and battered. Three teens were arrested, including two who were caught after beating and robbing a fellow student.

SECC Executive Director Bob Mason said the attacks are a "worrisome series of crimes," but added, "there is no grand conspiracy here."

On April 29 about 1 p.m., two students robbed a fellow student of $100 in cash and giftcards as he walked to school. The victim told police that one of the suspects, a boy from Hamilton Park, punched him in the face before demanding money. The victim fled and tried to enter the school when one of the suspects stole his wallet. The second suspect, a boy from Hyde Park, held the victim as the other robber fled. He was caught by police. The suspect from Hyde Park was one of three Kenwood students arrested in a Feb. 18 attempted strongarm robbery, police said. The Hamilton Park suspect was later caught returning to school.

[On May 4 another robbery of an adult by two teenage boys occurred. Both teens, one from Austin and the other from North Kenwood. Both teens were caught.]

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Kenwood fights back, School aims to improve tarnished image after assault spree, arrests

Note: students (admittedly in the upper tier of their class) and administrators have told this writer (GMO) and an open house May 11 that conditions have dramatically improved since the hall sweeps and that many students are being mentored and motivated--but reaching all is difficult.

Hyde Park Herald, May 11, 2005. By Kiratiana E. Freelon

Students and faculty of Kenwood Academy high school are preparing to reconstruct the school's negative image--which they say was caused by the community's incorrect perception that only Kenwood students were responsible for a recent spree of unprovoked attacks.

A flyer for an invitation-only event at Kenwood... reads, "What is your image of Kenwood Academy? Find out what it is really like." In another event in late May, the Kenwood Brotherhood Male Student Leadership group will lead Kenwood students in a march around Hyde Park with signs showing their GPA's, future colleges and extracurricular activities.

"There is a bad apple that always tries to spoil the whole bunch," said Shelby Wyatt, a Kenwood counselor and organizer of the march. "The majority of students in the building are determined students."

At a safety and security committee meeting May 4, Kenwood faculty and parents lamented how the recent spree of unprovoked attacks, resulting to date in 13 arrests of Kenwood students from four incidents , have led the community to believe that the whole school is bad. "People have asked me 'Why are you letting your kids go there?' and 'You need to get them out of there'," said Sheila Wesonga, a parent representative on the local school council.

Kenwood Principal Arthur Slater attacked the community's perception. "We have 1,700 kids, You cannot take two incidents and 10 children and say we have a bad school," Slater said in reference to assaults earlier in the year in which 10 Kenwood students were arrested. "It's not a school issue; it becomes a community issue."

Slater also insisted that every young person hanging around Hyde Park is not necessarily a Kenwood student. "We have kids in this area who do th ings and they are not even students, but the hang out during the day," Slater said. "Because of t heir size and because they look much like us, [the community] automatically thinks they are Kenwood students."

According to Wesonga, youngsters from around Chicago hang out at Kenwood High School because of its social environment and its location in a safe and "relatively gang-free" neighborhood.

Police Cmdr. Adrienne Stanley said that other neighborhoods are experiencing similar waves of violence. "This is actually going on in all neighborhoods," Stanley said. "In Hyde Park it's actually being reported."

While watching a fellow student being hauled away by police after an assault on May 4, Kenwood senior Asia Pastaseio told the Herald she was fed up with the actions of her peers. "They are making us all look bad." "Not everybody is like this," added Lawrence Shaw, another Kenwood senior who had witnessed the May 4 attack. Shaw was critical of recent media coverage depicting Kenwood as a troubled school. "Nowadays the media does not focus on the good things we do. They don't focus on the teens going to school to be a nurse or doctor."

Shaw agreed with Slater's assessment that Hyde Park attracts students from all over Chicago. "Everything is focused on Kenwood, but it's students from Hyde Park, Dyett and Whitney Young [High Schools] coming to [Hyde Park]" Shaw said."But [the media coverage] is all Kenwood Academy."

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Chamber of Commerce tackles youth/student, panhandling issues

During a series of Business to Business Security briefings in late April and May, 2005, members of the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce heard presentations from and held discussion with Chicago and UC police leadership and Kenwood officials. For full discussion about youth actions that can lead to crime and business and school initiatives to turn teen behavior around and bring youth into membership in the community, see the Business/community and Student/youth page. The youth attacks were discussed in larger behavioral and social involvement context an businesses reached out with steps toward a consensus common policy toward and for customers and youth internships.

Police noted that the "senseless" attacks and those on youth have stopped, but not youth-on-youth robberies. Almost all the perpetrators have been arrested--lots of arrests. Other strong-arm robberies have also not abated. Most of the both are in Central Hyde Park.

This reporter was told that the problems in west Hyde Park, especially Kozminski playlot, have been brought under control.

Panhandling and rude and lewd behavior by street persons was extensively discussed. The police are limited as well as marginally empowered by a new ordinance but often treat the matter as low priority or get lax, there was general agreement. Homeless are generally given warrants rather than arrested; these are disregarded by panhandlers and loiterers. UC police are considering a task force approach. (A citation does become a warrant in case of failure to appear in court.)

Citizens continually calling police and being willing to file complaints and so stating when calling when they observe threatening or suspicious or problem-causing activity helps move the troublemakers on or gets them eventually arrested. Problems with blocking doorways, being disruptive, threatening, or refusing to leave open many more opportunities to businesses to get action. Above all, DON'T GIVE MONEY AND KEEP COMPLAINING to police, including to your alderman and UC police.
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Chamber issues Business Security Guidelines in June 2005

Chamber issues Business Security Guidelines in response to business difficulties

HYDE PARK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
5211 S. HARPER AVE., SUITE D
CHICAGO, IL 60615
PH: 773-288-0124 FAX:773-288-0464


BUSINESS TO BUSINESS MEETING
Education and Networking

Below are guidelines the business community has decided to employ. These ideas were discussed in our Business to Business sessions, held on three Thursdays, April 21, May 5 and May 19.

1. Have a consistent, no tolerance policy. Should there be any trouble or threat in a business the owner/employee will call 911 and then the university police at 702-8181. No one will be forcibly restrained by the owner/employee. A complaint will be signed by the owner/employee of the business against the offender.

2. Signs limiting the number of people in a store at any given time can be posted on the door of the establishment; however, the Chamber of Commerce does not condone their use, and strongly suggests other methods be employed.

3. Business owners are free to conduct their business and admit customers in a lawful, non-discriminatory manner.

4. The Chamber of Commerce will look into bulk discounts, as a Chamber Member Benefit, for security cameras in the businesses. This avenue was recommended by the Chicago Police Department and the University of Chicago Police.

5. The Chamber of Commerce will look into bulk discounts, as a Chamber Member Benefit, for security systems in the businesses.

6. The Chamber of Commerce will work with Kenwood Academy on internships, desired unanimously, by the business owners, as soon as this summer.

7. Have a zero tolerance policy for panhandlers. Panhandlers who actively panhandle in front of stores will be reported to the police by dialing 911 and a complaint will be signed by the owner/employee of the business.

The Chamber of Commerce has been proud to help our business community with the recent challenges in our community. We look forward to presenting Business to Business meetings throughout the summer, fall and winter to deal with issues such as counterfeit money, scams in the area and ways to protect ourselves and our customers during the holiday. Your suggestions are greatly appreciated on topics of concern.

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Some residents' views

Judith Stein wrote that we always blame Kenwood--where did the 23 (vs 10) arrested attend school or not attend?

Rachel Mwitula, a 1997 Kenwood grad, said she is sad. "I have yet to witness parents taking responsibility for their children's behavior. ... I was young once and I knew the consequences that come with bad behavior inside of the house or in public, but now we have kids running the household.. Parents need to...stop playing the blame game....

James Newborn, a 1993 Kenwood grad, calls for a wide, collaborative process engaging all. This could be a learning process for all. He gives reasons why a closed campus would make for even worse conditions inside the school and out. Students have to be shown that the bad behavior won't be tolerated. Perhaps caught perpetrators could be banned from leaving the campus for a week. Three infractions could lead to expulsion. Businesses should work on rules of conduct and build personal relations, not segregate students.

Beverly Reed says this community is the perfect place and this is perfect opportunity to build a new paradigm for dealing with violent tendencies. What kind of forum would allow us to talk to each other and about the situation and needs. Cow can we create a safe environment for kids to express themselves and adults to provide guidance and admonishment as needed? Anything we love can be saved.

Sharon Brinkman blames shabby school standards, requirements in Illinois. Joan Goodman says Kenwood is a blighted school of which the mess around it is symptomatic and that citizens in their responses are teaching kids to never blame themselves.

A teen, Laura Casselberry, says few teens are morons or criminals.

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Sen. Raoul comments on bills on racial profiling, crime

Sen. Raoul sponsored Bill 581, a pilot on extending record-keeping on profiling to pedestrian stops. He worked on Bill 104 to up the penalty for injuring a corrections officer by arson and Bill 416 to provides temporary lodging costs for domestic violence victims, and a bill to expedite DNA testing in all child murder cases.

 

Earlier and recent spikes, coverage

There has been another such spike of patterns (few or one pair?) in late summer-fall 2004, though not as high in number as in 2003. In early 2005, during another spike, police broke two rings of teen strong arm robbers ( story follows).

Five nabbed in possible links to crime spree

Hyde Park Herald, March 2, 2005. By Nykeya Woods

Police have arrested five teens in connection to a string of 12 robberies and batteries reported in Hyde Park in recent weeks. One of those arrested is 17-year-od Hyde Parker Nicholas Grandison being held by prosecutors in lieu of $50,000 bond until his next scheduled court date March 10.

On Feb. 18, just after 4:30 p.m., a 46-year-old Hyde Park man told police that he was walking northbound in the 5200 block of South Kimbark Avenue when he was grabbed and knocked to the ground by Grandison, a 16-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy, police said. The victim told plaice that the boys began to kick him in the face and body and search his pockets. According to Bob Richards of the South East Chicago Commission (SECC), the robbers were unable to take anything and fled.

After canvassing the area with the help of Chicago police on Feb. 18, University of Chicago police were able to catch Grandison and the 14-year-old suspect, who were both positively identified by the victim and witnesses. Grandison is being charged as an adult with aggravated battery and attempted robbery. The 14-year-old was charged with attempted robbery. The 16-year-old has not been captured.

The next day, police arrested three more teens as they robbed a Hyde Park man. Police said the 29-year-old victim was walking in the 1400 block of East 59th Street just after 3:30 p.m., when he was approached from behind by one 16-year-old boy, one 15-year-old boy and one 14-year-old boy. The group demanded the man's cell phone and when he ignored them and continued walking, they grabbed him and searched his pockets. The boys then fled in an unknown direction.

The man notified the University of Chicago police through the U. of C. emergency phone located in the area. U. of C. emergency phones are placed near thoroughfares heavily trafficked by pedestrians and once the red button is pressed, officers are alerted to your location.

The boys were captured later that day by U. of C. police, positively identified by the victim and charged with robbery.

Currently, all the teens arrested over the two-day period are only charged with one count, however, Grandison is charged with two counts. Richards said that police are still investigating their involvement with other Hyde Park robberies. "[The police] are backtracking and talking and interviewing all the victims [of the robberies] that have occurred in the last week or two," Richards said. He added that since these arrests, there have not been any more reports of teenage robberies.

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The 2003-4 spike

This article contains reflections by those who most carefully track crime in the area. Ed. Also, "One issue that has gone to the top of the scale of importance is the need for Hyde Park residents to take responsibility for preventing robberies. " It is hoped that a series of recent arrests of "career criminals" will break the spike. Robert Mason of SECC reports that new patterns of burglaries and robberies have emerged in spring, 2004. Owners and managers need to exercise diligence in subleasing. The trailing and capture of one individual made a tremendous difference. (These have been trending down in recent years.) Return to Public Safety for the 2004 patterns.] Note that several neighborhood-sector specific concentrations of burglaries continue to appear. See Public Safety. There were more spikes and other theft increases in 2004, but overall the levels are down by double digits. Still, let's remember that the numbers are way down for 20-50 years ago.

Chicago Weekly, October 2, 2003. By Dave Muraskin

This year, the number of burglaries in Hyde Park has been the highest in recent memory, prompting new discussions about law enforcement, police coverage, and community awareness. According to local officials, the crime wave illuminates potential holes in crime preparation and puts new pressure on police to find better ways of preventing break-ins. One issue that has gone to the top of the scale of importance is the need ford Hyde Park residents to take responsibility for preventing robberies.

The number of burglaries in Hyde Park for the first eight months of 2003 represent a 95% increase over the same time last year, explained the South East Chicago Commission (SECC), a University-supported community service, and originally reported in the Hyde Park Herald.

While 2002 was a record low year for crimes across the board, according to Bob Richards of the SECC, the number of burglaries experienced as of the end of August in 2003 represent a seven-year high for Hyde Park area when compared to the first eight months of previous years, said Bob Mason of the SECC and reported by the Hyde Park Herald. These burglaries have occurred in many different forms, including bicycle theft, but the vast majority have been robberies from apartments.

"It is difficult to ascertain why we see the increase," said Richards. The SECC has stated, however, that the crimes fit into two broad patterns, as reported by the Chicago Weekly's Police Blotter on September 25th.

In one pattern, items taken included DVD players, VCR's, stereo equipment, televisions, and microwaves. In another, stolen items included laptop computers, CD players, jewelry, and cash. These patterns may or may not be related.

Individuals familiar with the crimes and suspects have suggested a number of theories to explain the robberies. "[A] very high percentage of these individuals are on parole," said Richards. Thus, the suspects do not represent an influx of new criminals into the community, but rather suggest that "career criminals" have been "recycled out of the penitentiary" and have returned to the old neighborhoods, suggested Mason.

Burglary sentences can range from 6 to 10 years, according to Mason. Consequently, the seven-year high in burglaries would fit with the cycle of an individual being arrested, serving his or her time time and then being released back into their community, as is hypothesized by the SECC. Still, Bob Mason states, "I wouldn't fault the judicial system for it...you can't keep folks forever."

Similarly, Rudy Nimocks, Executive Director of the University of Chicago Police Department, has also suggested that the continued criminal activity is a result of a slow and overburdened judicial system. He explains that because individuals are allowed to post bond after being arrested, and remain free within the community until their trial date occurs, they are able to return to their old ways, sometimes caught and charged with multiple burglaries before they are ever tried on their first offense.

"We follow them around...we know who they are," said Nimocks. "The police are expending a lot of resources across the city [on this issue]." Nonetheless, it is an impossible task for the UCPD or CPD to prevent these individuals from performing any illegal activity. "[It's a] question of volume," explains Nimocks.

In addition to previous criminal activities, many of the burglaries appear related to narcotics addictions. "A lot of these individuals, when apprehended, are self-admitted drug abusers," said Richards. For many of these people the addictions have become so consuming that they rob during the day, forgoing any type of employment in order to maintain their habits, said Mason.

While it is easy to see the rise in crime and the associations that go with it as a negative revelation for Hyde Park and the University, local politicians have attempted to put a more positive spin on it. "If you have a community that is perceived to be one where people have significant resources, you may attract criminals rather than good and decent people who might must find the neighborhood attractive," said 4th Ward Alderman Toni Preckwinkle....

Furthermore, according to the Police, the ability to retain Hyde Park's reputation as a gentrifying and increasingly safe neighborhood, lies entirely within the means of its residents.

Most important, according to the SECC, is for individuals to use good locks. A Chicago City Ordinance was passed a number of years ago, said Mason, which requires all building managers to have proper locks. Thus, residents may demand that their landlords install adequate safety measures.

Good door locks help to prevent one entrance into buildings, while window bars block another. Apartment dwellers may want to ask landlord to make sure these are installed. Always keep windows closed and locked when you ar not in the house. Even apartments on upper floors are vulnerable. At a recently robbed apartment on the third floor of a building, a Chicago police officer demonstrated just how easy it is to slide open an unlocked window from the outside.

Despite this, the police do not know how the perpetrators are entering the buildings for the recent patterns of burglaries. As a result, Hyde Park residents should be particularly careful not to buzz in someone they do not know and to make sure that they do not hold the door for people they do not know.

If at all possible, Nimocks suggested installing a burglary alarm. "If everyone in the neighborhood had a burglary alarm this wouldn't happen," he said.

Finally, the SECC and the University of Chicago Police Department, recommends that residents band together in reporting any type of suspicious activity. The SECC notes that most arrests are based on such reports. However, the commission warns that if you believe your property has been burglarized, you should not enter the apartment, but rather leave the building and call the police. Criminals are potentially dangerous individuals, and confrontations should be avoided at all costs.

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