Tribune: Rapper hosting 'anti-bait truck' event in Englewood to give away shoes

More ramifications from that controversial bait truck operation which the Norfolk Southern Railroad has expressed regret for.

A Chicago rapper's foundation will be giving away thousands of shoes in a low-income South Side neighborhood where a recent sting using "bait trucks" to lure potential shoe thieves faced criticism from civil rights activists and local officials.

Rapper Vic Mensa's SaveMoneySaveLife foundation will give away shoes Sunday in the Englewood neighborhood. The event comes after residents filmed police arresting a man and accused officers of trying to entrap poor residents.

Norfolk Southern Railroad organized the sting with assistance from the Chicago Police Department. The effort was aimed at combatting thefts from nearby rail yards. The railroad company has since apologized, and prosecutors dropped charges against three people arrested during the sting.

Sunday's event will include multiple "anti-bait trucks" with gym shoes from brands, including Puma, Adidas, Nike and Converse, for everyone from toddlers to adults, said foundation co-founder Laundi Keepseagle.

"It's been so beautiful," she said. "I'm so excited for these kids to get shoes for the new (school) year."

Keepseagle said large donations were made from as far as Germany, China and Australia by multiple athletes and musicians who asked to remain anonymous.

Block Club Chi: Railroad Police Regret Using Bait Trucks In Chicago, Promise Not To Do It Again

Caught my eye thanks to a screencap of this story posted to RAGE's ig page. Will share below meanwhile check out this Block Club story about this so-called "bait-truck" set up by the Norfolk Southern Railroad and Chicago Police.

Railroad Police regret using "bait trucks" in Chicago, promise not to do it again https://t.co/fatviCRQTh pic.twitter.com/ZOSBpf0J9K

— Block Club Chicago (@BlockClubCHI) August 13, 2018

The Norfolk Southern Railroad on Friday said it regrets its controversial “Operation Trailer Trap” sting in Englewood and will stop the practice just days after activists’ videos of the “bait truck” operation went viral.

The railroad, which was harshly criticized by neighbors, politicians and viewers of the videos around the world, said the sting “eroded trust between law enforcement and the community.”

According to activist videos posted online, a semi-truck was left on Englewood streets with boxes of shoes inside. Officers waited for people to try to break into the truck, and then arrested them. It was a joint operation between Norfolk Southern Railroad and the Chicago Police Dept., which has already said it will take “a hard look” at the practice going forward.

After initially defending the tactic, Norfolk Southern now says they don’t plan to do it again.

“Norfolk Southern recognizes that, despite the need to safeguard freight in the area, this operation eroded trust between law enforcement and the community,” Herbert Smith, manager of community and legislative affairs, said in a statement. “We sincerely regret that our actions caused further unease, and we don’t plan to use this method in the future.”

I almost forgot did 2nd City Cop say anything about this? Yes they did from this past Saturday. I'm not a fan of this tactic, but this is how the local police blog looks at it.

Almost immediately after Kim Foxxx dropped all charges against the burglars who cut open truck trailer seals in order to unlawfully loot whatever was within, Norfolk Southern acquiesced to the criminal class and agreed to allow their trains to be looted with impunity

Emphasis (what I placed in bold) is mine. Also:

Reverse Stings are completely legal and accepted police tactics. If you don't cut open a trailer seal and unlawfully enter and remain within while intending to commit a theft, YOU CAN'T BE CHARGED! It's like an actual law. Imagine that - obey the law and nothing happens.

But now, newly emboldened burglars can cut open train cars and parked trucks and loot with the knowledge that whatever they break into isn't being watched by cops.  And the cost to everyone else can be calculated in million of dollars. And you can thank Kim Foxxx and the ACLU for starters.

Anyway here's the RAGE ig post

CHICAGO — The Norfolk Southern Railroad on Friday said it regrets its controversial “Operation Trailer Trap” sting in Englewood and will stop the practice just days after activists’ videos of the “bait truck” operation went viral. Read more of this story from @blockclubchi at their website, www.blockclubchicago.org

A post shared by R.A.G.E. (@rage_englewood) on Aug 13, 2018 at 12:42pm PDT

 

6th Ward Alderman: Bait Truck Sting In Englewood ‘Unacceptable,’

Ald. Roderick Sawyer is chairman of the city council Black Caucus and seem to be very busy. First last weekend's violence, now police using bait trucks to catch offenders:

The chairman of the City Council’s Black Caucus denounced a sting operation that used “bait trucks” to try to catch thieves in Englewood, saying it was an “inappropriate use of police resources” and a hearing should be held to get answers.

Ald. Roderick T. Sawyer (6th) called Chicago Police and the Norfolk Southern Railroad on the carpet for the joint operation, which was revealed when video shot by activists went viral this week.

“This bait truck operation is an unacceptable and inappropriate use of police resources,” Sawyer said in a statement. “In a moment where police capacity is clearly under extreme strain, these sort of tactics are the last thing we should be spending manpower and energy on.

“This initiative serves only to undermine already fragile efforts to build trust between law enforcement and the community, and to reinforce counterproductive policies that have contributed to the mass incarceration of Black youth in our city.

More about the viral videos:

One of the two viral videos was shot by activist Charles Mckenzie, who posted it on Facebook. Sawyer personally thanked the 29-year-old Englewood activist for filming the sting “so that it could be laid bare for the public and news media to examine.”

Here are one of those videos which I found in this Block Club Chi article where the police defended their tactics.