When will the 16th be redistricted? It's way to big and needs to be smaller in order to be manageable, especially now that crime numbers are increasing and we have lost an estimated 300 police officers over the last few years in the 16th district.
And, WHEN WILL THE 16th DISTRICT get more officers? Can't hide the fact there are not enough of them anymore.
We all need to call and email the alderman and let her know we need more officers and the police district remapped to be smaller. This can't go on. Does anyone feel safe here anymore?
2 sought after shots fired during altercation with police on NW Side
 5300 block of North Natoma Ave (Photo illustration, Chicago Tribune) |
Chicago police arrested one man and are searching for another tonight on the Northwest Side after they were involved in an altercation with officers in which shots were fired, police said.
The incident began about 7:40 p.m. in the alley behind the 5300 block of North Natoma Avenue, police said. The men were being questioned by police, and according to preliminary reports, shots were fired by police in the incident but no one was hit, said Sgt. Antoinette Ursitti of Chicago Police Department News Affairs.
A police officer was taken to Resurrection Medical Center with a hand injury, said Chicago Fire Department Chief Joseph Roccasalva. The officer was in good condition. It's not clear how he was injured.
Police conducted a widespread search of the area for the men who fled after the altercation.
Police took one man into custody before midnight but are still looking for the other. Nobody has been charged in connection with the altercation, police said.
The incident began about 7:40 p.m. in the alley behind the 5300 block of North Natoma Avenue, police said. The men were being questioned by police, and according to preliminary reports, shots were fired by police in the incident but no one was hit, said Sgt. Antoinette Ursitti of Chicago Police Department News Affairs.
A police officer was taken to Resurrection Medical Center with a hand injury, said Chicago Fire Department Chief Joseph Roccasalva. The officer was in good condition. It's not clear how he was injured.
Police conducted a widespread search of the area for the men who fled after the altercation.
Police took one man into custody before midnight but are still looking for the other. Nobody has been charged in connection with the altercation, police said.
It was a scene out of a Bruce Willis movie around here last night. I'm glad they caught one guy, and I hope they get the other soon. I've lived her for 14 years and am raising a family. I don't feel safe here anymore. Some very creepy looking characters in gang colors and hoodies walking around and driving around in late model cars. I don't like the invasion by thugs at all. Worse, I haven't seen a patrol car cruise down our block in about two years. When our garage was broken into, the cops who came by looked exhausted. I've read enough to know that once crime, any crime begins to grow, its just a matter of time before the types of crimes escalate to more violent crimes and greater numbers of crime. I have gone to meetings and sent emails to the alderman. I voted for her, but haven't seen her do anything about the increasing crime numbers since she has been in office, much like the former alderman. Is she waiting to react to a brutal murder in the ward? I want to see more proactive measures by our elected official, and less pandering to the mayor.
ReplyDeleteShe's more interested in promoting her Valentine's day for Seniors, catered by O'Connor catering.
DeleteIt's Dino's, but the goodwill carries over to other aspects. The question becomes, what events is she catering for St. Patrick's? That event/events show(s) where the hacks live. Follow the money and connect the dots.
DeleteI live a few blocks from where this occurred and I saw off-duty cop neighbors in their own cars looking for these guys. I thought the police did a great job, I just wish there were more of them on patrol to deter these punks from even thinking about coming to a residential area where they have no business. And I agree, thugs know we are sitting ducks here. Never see patrol cars anymore.
ReplyDeleteThey need to redistrict 016!
ReplyDelete33 square miles is too large of a patrol area to patrol with such limited resources. Give 017 the East border up to Laramie and give 025 the South border up to Irving Park.
Not enough police, time to start demonstrating. My neighbors are getting sick of it too. People are really getting fedup with Rahm and Gary's lies.
Exactly right. Put heat on the alderperson. Bombard her with calls and emails. As someone said previously, once this starts, it will only get worse.
DeleteBoycott her catering business too. Must be nice to have a 6 figure salary, and still operate a catering business.
I stumbled across this blog this morning looking for more info on Martwick's opponent. I live in the very small section of the 41st that is part of the 19th congressional district. I know it seems like a long time, but 2015 will eventually arrive and we will need to dump the current bunch and forge ahead. I strongly encourage everyone to participate in community forums so that voters can reference the lack of response to citizen concerns. I hope this blog is around in 2015 and continues to document the lack of action and the lies being told by the mayor, the alderman and the Chief of Police. Voting is your power. Let these people know how unhappy you are now and that you will not vote for them in the future. Rahm and Mary are poster children for term limits.
ReplyDeleteThe "Wild (North) West Side of Chicago". Chalk marks on your streets coming very soon.
ReplyDeleteAnd its been happening even in areas such as Wildwood too. Shots fired, woman held up at gunpoint on a residential street, both in recent weeks.
DeleteIts just a matter of time before something horrible happens.
Regards to last nights incident, I read that it might have been a bb gun. And if it was, how stupid are they to have one in the cops sight, and then fire it at them?
I'm trying to sell my house and this doesn't help, at all. Very few people looking to live in the city anymore. Less city workers, better amenities and schools in the suburbs. The middle class is disappearing from the city because of increased taxes, fines, fees and less public safety and attention to schools. Adios.
ReplyDeleteI heard the suspects were in a old Ford 150 pick-up truck in the alley. Were these guys just one of HUNDREDS of SCAVENGERS allowed to roam up and down our alleys and streets every single day? Or perhaps trying to look like scavengers, but really burglars? How do we tell the difference. I was out in alley yesterday working on my car and during the six hours I was out there, there must have been 75 scavenger trucks down my alley.
ReplyDeleteThe incident you write about here is a call to action, but the greater concern should be the erosion of the neighborhoods in the ward and the reinvestment into the community NOT happening. Where are all the increased tax dollars, fines and fee dollars we are paying going? They certainly are not being reinvested here! We are funding corporate lakefront parties for international oppressors like the G8 and NATO guests. There should be a riot right here in the ward, protesting the gross mishandling of our tax dollars.
ReplyDeleteTell me again, why are we hosting the G8 and NATO summits?
If I see the NATO and G8 city party planner - Lori Healy on the news one more time telling viewers Chicago needs to act like a global city, I will absolutely puke. Not one person who lives in the city of Chicago is buying that BS. We don't want a "global" city of criminal investment bankers, financialists and poor people. We need a working class and middle class, too. Rahm had no business "showcasing" our city to lunatic protesters and criminal global leaders. The rich don't support the city, we do!
ReplyDeleteBut Rahm is all-knowing. Our city and its citizens are here to serve Rahm. And don't forget, no one loves our children more than Rahm. Hail Rahm. All hail Rahm.
DeleteNice job 16th District. How much longer are the few police officers remaining going to be able to keep us and themselves safe from the growing criminal element. Chicago now has more gang members than anywhere in the country. Don't you think we need to balance that figure with more police, not less police? And I don't believe one word of the talking points that come out of the mayor, the alderman or police superintendent. Its all crap and we all know it.
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Arm yourselves and vote the fools out in 2015.
ReplyDeleteI learned about what was happening about 5 minutes after it started because of facebook. One of my neighbors saw the 25 silent squads and got on his scanner. He immediately got on facebook with a message out to all his facebook friends who were neighbors. My next door neighbor and I called all the neighbors around us to let them know. We had instant info through the next few hours. I just checked and the alderman has 1156 face book friends. I think she should use facebook to notify us of emminent danger like last night instead of her next fundraiser. All we have now is informal communication systems in our neighborhoods. In this day and age, shouldn't we be warned by our elected officials when something serious is happening instead of looking out the window and seeing armed officers and helicopters in the air and wonder what the hell is going on.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you we need to find a way to be notified. I found out about this by my son looking out the window and seeing the fox news van. I live down the street from where this happened and usually let my dog out at that time luckily i didnt and my doors were still locked but the government or someone need to find a way to let the people who live in the neighborhood know right away that someone is fleeing the police in the vacinity
DeleteI happened to be back in the neighborhood visiting family last night and was appauled by what took place as we near the cemetery that was swarmed by the police. Each time I come back into the neighborhood, I notice how the neighborhood is deteriorating little by little. The post before about reinvesting the tax money is dead on. I spent my childhood in that neighborhood...never had to worry about gangs, robberies, etc. I probably wouldn't dare to walk a few blocks home after a Higgin's bar crawl anymore after 10pm. I long for the days with thriving restaurants and businesses...The Golden Flame, Skylark, the crummy Chinese restaurant at Harlem and Higgins that no one wanted to admit they ate at, True Value, store-fronts down Higgin's that people actually went to that weren't "fronts" for something else. A young kid couldn't even get a job in the neighborhood anymore unless its a Walgreens or Jewel. Maybe its just me getting older wishing things were the way they were back in the ol' days...the ol' days of 15 years ago.
ReplyDeleteSo True, I grew up here as well and long for the same establishments and the comfort of walking home at any hour without concern. Last night was sureal. I have a friend who lives in Lake Forest and when anything occurs in his township, (for example, an escaped convict was in the vincity) and EVERY citizen was notified by a call. Oh, by the by his taxes are less then what we pay.
DeleteIf the Daytona 500 can be post phoned, why can't we cancel the g8/nato summits?
ReplyDeleteI agree that the lack of police presence has inspired these thugs to invade our neighborhood. It use to be that there would be patrols riding through our streets and gave a sense of a watch. I myself have had to call police on punks loitering in the alleys and spray painting
ReplyDeleteproperty. It's time we all band together as neighbors and demand a higher police presence and get this alderwoman on board or get out of office.
Completely off topic here ... Our street lights and alley lights have been out for four nights. Kind of scary given all the recent incidents. Does anyone know what's going on?
ReplyDeleteTwo street lights in front of our home have been out since October. Called marys office 4 - 5 times. Good luck on only 4 nights !!
DeleteThose of us who have been around for at least a decade see the erosion. The ward looks "urban" rather than the "suburb in the city" motto I hear from the politicians at election time. With that comes thugs in "hoodies" to rob us and erode our neighborhood even more.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes me real angry is when I go to a meeting and the alderman and police commander try to put this all back on us. We have some responsibility yes, but I don't feel as though I should have to join a neighborhood watch, spend thousands of dollars on a security system and go to CAPS meetings - I already pay an enormous amount of money on taxes that are suppose to give me some police protection. And I am angry about never seeing a patrol car in my neck of the woods. How can the police protect us if they aren't around (no fault of the current police - but there just aren't enough to cover this area)? Enough is enough. Soon, no one will want to buy houses here, if its just another crime ridden hood in the city.
I thought the 41st Ward website was the crucial link from the office to the citizens yet I see nothing about this on the website and as far as I can tell the "latest news" hasn't been updated since Jan 5.
ReplyDeleteI didn't vote for her so don't blame me.
To 2-26 9:09AM
ReplyDeleteThe Valentine's Day party was catered by Dino's on Higgins, not Alderman O'Connors catering business.
I know everyone is angry about the lack of police presence in the 16th but don't place the entire blame on the alderman. She can talk until she's blue in the face but it's the idiot on the 5th floor of city hall who refuses to send more police here. I bet his district is overstaffed and it's pretty safe to walk the streets there. Maybe we should all picket city hall demanding more police protection and remember all of this when the next mayoral election comes.
ReplyDeleteYes she could talk until she is blue in the face but she doesn't. Isn't this government supposed to be by the people for the people. So the catering queen should spend all of her breath asking for more police because that is what the people of this ward want. And no I didn't vote for her and yes I have sent an email.
DeleteHow can this all be put back on the residents? We can only do so much. We're not allowed to carry guns in the city so how can we protect outselves? Next time the police commander tells us it's partly our responsibility don't talk his bull s - - - and DEMAND more police protection. But maybe we won't have to worry much longer....the 16th will soon be a high crime area
ReplyDeleteI've owned the same home in the 16th district for 60 years and cannot believe the changes. This used to be the best area in the city where we weren't afraid the be out at night and our children weren't afraid to walk to their friends homes. Now they have to be drive everywhere. I truly believe a large part of the problem is the extension of the trains to O'Hare. Several years ago my car was stolen from in front of my house and they boys, 16 and 17, were caught driving in Oz Park at Lincoln and Fullerton. How did they get to this area? On the El. And I wonder what they minors were doing out at 2AM on a school night. We must not allow this to continue. Since it was the Rahminator who pulled the police from our district remember him at the next election
ReplyDeleteIf you say a large part of the problem is the extension of the trains to O'Hare, which I agree: then the next logical argument is a large part of the problem was Mayor Daley I bringing the youths from the south to the CHA projects. Robert Taylor=Valerie Jarrett=Daley=Emmanuel=Obama
DeleteOn a very regular basis the street lights in front of my house and all of the light in the alley are not working. This has been going on for close to 2 years and when I called the previous alderman's office I was told i'll be put on a list. I could not go out at night since I could not park my car in my garage and could not park in front because there were no lights in either place. This is just a general deterioration of services and certainly cannot be blamed on the current alderman. In fact, if the light are out now I just have to call her office and within 3 days they're fixed.
ReplyDeleteI think the current alderman is good at basic service delivery, like fixing lights, but is TERRIBLE at advocating for constituents. She should be all over the mayor about more police officers, new parks, new sewers, etc. We need a MOUTHPIECE for this area. Many other neighborhoods have new parks, new sewers and double the police numbers because their alderman DEMAND these things for their wards. Anyone can oversee the changing of a lightbulb.
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't feel safe. And I am not blind to the deterioration of the neighborhood and the lack of police presence. I used to see squad cars, but not anymore. Where did they all go?
ReplyDeleteThis is a tipping point event. Most of the homes here have children. People are raising families and we will not stay here if we don't feel safe. Its no longer a subjective feeling. I don't believe the pols or the police admininstration when they tell us we are safe. We are not safe and we aren't stupid either. Increased burglaries, less cops on the street and the visable presence of undesirables on the street leads those of us with sight, to see this is serious.
What a fluff piece by O'Connor in response to what happened:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ward41.com/?p=946
Typical politco speak. Let's treat the wound, not the symptoms.
Get more freaking cops in the district, and re-size it.
More info about the incident. The yutes were on the block to visit an address on the block to buy drugs. Arrests made at the drug house for guns & drugs.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe one word of the alderman's statement - more talking points from her PR person.
ReplyDeleteMy mother lives in the 45th Ward and this is how the alderman there (Arena) answers his constituents questions: (Found on Everyblock)
ReplyDeleteHave a Question for Ald. John Arena?
Do you have a question for 45th Ward Alderman John Arena? Leave a comment on this post and you can get it answered- LIVE on TV. Ald. Arena will be taking questions from constituents live on cable channel CAN TV21 this Wednesday starting at 7 p.m. Leave a question here or watch Political Forum and call in live to get your answer.
You can see videos from past episodes of Political Forum and learn more about the show on our website: http://www.cantv.org/politicalforum.htm.
It's all theater. He's the machine.
DeleteI only believe what I can see for myself. And there are no cops in this neighborhood. They are gone. When do we get them back?
ReplyDeleteWe get them back when we become a "high crime" area which will be any time now.
DeleteI live about 7 blocks where this occurred but saw what was going on. Now, I'm left to wonder what would happen here if there is a serious threat to the neighborhood - there is no notification system, no cops and no one willing to accept responsibility for immediately notifying us.
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't feel safe here. And, I'm watching the news now and the regional police force trained in disaster response are refusing to help the city with G8 Summit because they are worried about their own suburbs! Where does that leave us???????? This city has not enough cops and now, no other cops want to come here because they know the summits are going to be a disaster. Thanks Mayor Asshole, and our pathetic local officials.
Over 2000 cops have not been replaced over the past couple years, library hours are cut, health clinics are cut and our property taxes were increased to the max, cameras everywhere, fines, fee increases for everything including water and we are spending millions on a summit? WTF?
ReplyDeleteWe want COPS, Library hours and other TAXPAYER services!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mary Oconnor you represent US. Not Rahms agenda. Englewood uses enough of OUR resources. Do the right thing for YOUR ward. If you want to remain Alderman.
ReplyDeleteIn a ward that barely had 40% of the registered voters vote, the numbers are such that she will always win. It's corrupt, it's Chicago.
DeleteI am sick of pulling up 016 unit summary while working and seeing 4-5 down cars a night. It would be nice after paying $5000 in property taxes to have some proactive policing. Is it too much to ask for a beat car to drive the street once in a while? Here's a story media, I know it isn't being spoon fed, but run with it!!
ReplyDeleteChicago Police Officer
I don't live in the ward but I live in sixteen. I live by shabona park and it was and still is a great place to live. In the recent years I have seen a decline in police patrols and the officers look dead tired. The direct effect is a steady increase in the shady characters that drive through here. How long before they think they set up shop because they are unchallenged. There is no question that the 016 district is depleaded. On both sides of forest preserve drive we need to force our aldermen to demand our officers back or get voted the hell out of office. Stand with the 016th district. I paid 9,000 in property taxes for my new contruction, where are my cops!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad a protest wouldn't do any good. We aren't the right demographic to get any attention or to be taken seriously. I WAS working that night - flew over from no surprise, the 011th District. I ran into so many off-duty P.O.'s, Sgts and a Captain who all heard what was going on, donned their vests and duty belts and went out on the hunt as well. I can't blame the officers of 016 or even the Commander for that fact. I CAN and DO blame our elected officials and more importantly our AlderCreature for not having the backbone to stand up and do what's right for US in this ward. Another wasted vote which I WILL remember next election.
ReplyDeleteThe message is clear. The city can only afford 9000 officers and they are going to put them in high crime areas. No one cares that the low crime areas pay the taxes to support the police.
ReplyDeleteSolution: Move to a suburb where police patrol all areas and don't leave the middle class to arm themselves.
I'm not politicizing this, but the alderman did say she would protest, lead a march, write letters and "be a voice" to keep cops in the 16th district. So, when does that happen? And, what's taking so long?
ReplyDeleteIf she's willing to take the lead, we need to back her and set a date to organize. I'm in.
DeleteI work in city hall and I also live in the 41st ward. I didn't vote for the current mayor and would NEVER EVER vote for him. I see all the BS going on every day and I assure everyone that it's not the alderman not speaking up for you but rather the mayor himself. Alderman O'Connor is constantly advocating for the 41st ward but the mayor will not deploy more police to the 16th as he figures crime is higher in other areas. My advice to you is picket the mayor
ReplyDeleteThe alderman needs to get VOCAL about public safety. That means speaking out to reporters and public statements. Does she advocate for us over martinis at Gibsons? I sure haven't seen any visible signs of advocacy around public safety- no public forums, no public statements, no press conferences.
ReplyDeleteI'm serious when I say that the people who live in the 16th district, need to show up in huge numbers at the alderperson's office, and give them a showing of how many are upset by this. No violence, no bs, just show up, and hand her petitions, letters, whatever. Contact the press, and maybe they'll show up. The only time anything happens, is if the city politicians are losing face.
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