CBS Chicago: Cautionary tale after 'bump & run' auto theft

[VIDEO] This is really an old story, however, something else to look out for at a time when carjacking or perhaps even car thefts are on the rise. Be very careful when someone bumps into your car from behind, someone could get into your car and drive out while you check out the damage. This incident happened in the South Loop.

#Tucker on the crime problem and the grinches who rob volunteers and burn down Christmas trees

 

[VIDEO] I'm sharing this segment from Tucker Carlson Tonight on FOX News with you today because the commentary you see by host Tucker Carlson discusses some local events that perhaps you missed. Most certainly I missed these events.

To bring home some of the points Carlson is discussing here is there needs to be a reckoning on the crime issue nationally. Certainly it's an issue not just in the city where last weekend a group of youths converged near Millennium Park to cause enough issues for the police to start making plans to address any future disturbances. Basically as a reaction problem as this issue has been going on for a while as this isn't the first time I wrote about youths coming to downtown to cause problems as theft, vandalism, or even just causing major disturbances.

So he starts off with attacks on Christmas trees because well tis the season. And the first thing he mentions was that a group of My Block My Hood My City volunteers were robbed putting up holiday decorations in the history south side Bronzeville neighborhood. 

BTW, if you don't want to listen to Carlson here's a story from CBS Chicago. According to the article this crime occurred at 48th & King Drive and part of a team of volunteers putting up Christmas decorations from  35th Street to 115th Street.

Game Stop "smash & grab" in Chatham

 Downtown has been victims of "smash and grabs" even some suburbs are reporting such crimes most recently a Louis Vuitton store in Oak Brook, Illinois. Try one of those in Chatham at a Game Stop on 85th/Cottage Grove.

A report from Hyde Park Patch:

A video game store in the Chatham neighborhood also reported an unknown amount of merchandise was stolen at around 6:30 p.m.

No one was in custody in relation to any of the incidents as of Saturday afternoon, police told Patch.

To go back downtown not too long after this incident there was a smash and grab on the Magnificent Mile at the Neiman Marcus store. Here's a story from CBS Chicago on this [VIDEO]

WGN News: State's Attorney says she's not soft on crime

 

[VIDEO] Just remember over the past summer a poll listed both State's Attorney Kim Foxx and Mayor Lori Lightfoot as under water on the crime issue. After what happened in the Austin neighborhood on the west side last month with no charges for "mutual combatants" she's at an event with the west side NAACP.

The State's Attorney claimed to have very little power as far as bail which she says judge's control. She explained a law passed by the state which not the ability to pay cash for bond shouldn't determine whether or not you're held. It should be your threat to public safety should determine whether or not you remain in custody.

She's very concerned about the "false narrative" around her job performance as State's Attorney. I don't know if her office's handling of the west side shooting which is also mentioned in this report along with her spat between the Mayor and Police Supt. David Brown has helped change that false narrative.

Fox 32 Chicago: Poll show bad news for the mayor

 

[VIDEO] When was the last time we heard from Mike Flannery of WFLD-TV on this blog. The longtime political reporter discusses a poll by Ogden & Fry with regards to whether or not voters would consider giving Mayor Lori Lightfoot a second term on the 5th floor of city hall. And 46% are opposed to giving the Mayor a second term as mayor with 28% unsure and 25% say they're in favor of her getting a second term.

Also noted in this report is strong report for her city employee vaccine mandates and firing of those city workers who won't comply. It's making national news the friction between police union leader John Catanzara and the Mayor as far as the vaccine mandate for Chicago Police officers. With concerns that Chicago Police will be at half coverage due to those officers who choose to defy the city's vaccine mandate.

Flannery states that we have 16 months before we cast ballots in the 2023 municipal elections for mayor. While I hold out hope that she might decide not to run for a second term, he's right in stating that if she wants to turn her fortunes around before the next mayoral race then she needs to get busy. Her comments toward Catanzara over the vaccine mandates doesn't make that promising.

Lightfoot later Thursday called the Tabares-Napolitano ordinance “foolishness” and plans to do “everything I can to stop it.”

Catanzara “has demonstrated over and over again he’s racist. He’s a misogynist. He’s xenophobic. He hates immigrants and refugees,” Lightfoot said. “I think people in her ward need to ask why [Tabares] is carrying the water for a guy like that.”

I heard the sound bite on the radio way before I found that quote in the Sun-Times. Seems like more conflicts ahead. 

Where is Kierra Coles?

 

[VIDEO] Ms. Coles is a Chicago area postal worker who went missing in 2018. She was last seen outside of her home at 81st & Vernon and authorities are offering a reward for information on her whereabouts.

In this story from WGN her family is in Pilsen celebrating her 29th birthday on Sept. 24. Sad that she's not around to celebrate her birthday and also bear in mind Coles was also three months pregnant. The family hopes that Coles will be around for her 30th birthday.

CBS Chicago: Drivers who regularly take Dan Ryan say it's dangerous but have no choice

 

[VIDEO] This story from WBBM-TV was uploaded to YouTube on Friday discussing commuters who are concerned about the shooting incidents that often occur on the Dan Ryan Expressway. Noted was a fatal shooting on a Red Line train near Garfield on Thursday which trying to get home then was something of a concern although thankfully after some delays I got home. Also noted was that the State Police are installing license plate reading cameras which hopefully will enable authorities to get a handle on some of these incidents.

Anyone here want to talk about their commutes on the Dan Ryan? Any incidents you've seen that have left you concerned? Let us know.

Chicago Tonight: Judge Timothy Evans responds to blame on courts for crime spike

 

[VIDEO] Since he was mentioned in the comments on this blog we hear from Chief Cook County Judge Timothy Evans on Chicago Tonight who answering to the criticism of Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Supt. David Brown as far as the recent spike in crime. The Mayor and Supt believes the courts aren't upholding their part in upholding the law even as police officers are taking people charged with murder off the street.

Capitol Fax: As expressway shootings surge, state still working on cam contract

 Quite a few expressway shootings have happened on the Dan Ryan or the Bishop Ford aka Calumet Expressways or even on I-57 as you head west beyond 95th from the Dan Ryan. One solution is an "expressway cam" there are already 600 up that don't show video. And also a quick fact arrests are rare in these expressway shootings.

This is why I'm sharing yesterday's post from CapFax that shares some information about this issue.

As expressway shootings surge, state still working on cam contract https://t.co/mloch8lYGZ

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) July 7, 2021

I don't know if anyone who's reading this blog has experienced an expressway shooting and the disruptions that it creates. However we want to get to where we want to go safely and this is also worth discussing with your state legislators.

Tired of the fireworks?

 It seems to be something of a yearly tradition the fireworks started not long before the Fourth of July. I recall last year as the city was undergoing some major riots in downtown Chicago the fireworks were going off that evening near the end of May 2020. 

Recently at Concerned Citizens of Chatham, Worlee Glover listed a number of local state legislators to take up the issue of those untaxed Indiana fireworks flowing into the city. What can state gov't do about the issue these fireworks?

Did you hear about a shooting at 87/Dan Ryan late last month?

 

[VIDEO] I've wanted to post this since I found out about this on social media. The video above was posted to CBS Chicago's YouTube channel on June 25 and if I got the timing correct as I listen to the narration by reporter Charlie Del Mar this incident occurred the day before on a Thursday morning.

The man who recorded this dramatic footage Huber Pereznegron was sitting right behind when he sees a gunman get out of a vehicle to shoot at another vehicle somewhere ahead of them. This is a very scary situation to be a witness to and thankfully Pereznegron and his passenger weren't hurt in this incident.

This all happened at 87th and the Dan Ryan we know this is often a busy thoroughfare. How many people shop at that Jewel-Osco or go to that Chipotle or Wendy's? Conversely how many people shop at that Home Depot, Marshall's, or Food 4 Less?  How many people hear about this incident and choose not to go into those stores even if this is a rare incident?

Be careful out there.

WGN: Over 60 arrested after chaos ensues in Chicago's Loop

 

[VIDEO] I think what was alluded to by these WGN anchors on Monday was the planning and assurance by the Chicago Police there won't be many issues then we hear over 60 people were arrested causing issues in the Loop. We hear about a large crowd (or mob) of unruly young people came downtown setting off fireworks and setting fires in garbage cans.

This seems to be a recurring theme unfortunately. Often we're hearing about large gatherings of young people in downtown Chicago. And sometimes they do cause issues.

Chicago Tribune: No bail for 55-year-old man arrested in fatal CTA bus stabbing in Chatham

This is very scary. You may have heard about the fatal stabbing on the Cottage Grove bus near 87th on Friday:

Van Crocker is accused of stabbing a 66-year-old man around 4:30 p.m. Friday on a CTA bus near 8600 S. Cottage Grove Ave.

According to prosecutors, after paying the bus fare and standing in front of the victim, Crocker pulled out a knife and stabbed the man in the chest.

The bus driver notified police. Officers arrived at the scene and recovered the knife from the defendant’s hand, prosecutors said. The stabbing was captured on CTA surveillance video.The 66-year-old man was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Crocker made admissions that he wanted to kill the man when he stabbed him, prosecutors said. Crocker and the man did not know each other.

Crocker’s public defender said he has a GED from Hirsch Metropolitan High School. She argued that Crocker has mental health issues and did not have the capacity during the stabbing or during interrogation by officers and was not checked for mental health conditions by officers.

Judge Arthur Willis denied Crocker bail, citing a threat posed by him to people in the community.

He wanted to kill the man on that bus but they didn't know each other. Be careful out there everyone. 

Here's a brief video from WBBM-TV about this story Crocker was in bond court on Sunday [VIDEO]

CBS Chicago: Could Armed Security Guards Be Coming To CTA Buses, Trains?

 

[VIDEO] Very interesting armed guards on CTA buses and trains. The last time this was proposed it was back when CTA eliminated the job of conductor on all rail lines just over 20 years ago. There were two people on the train usually at all times and perhaps more than that back when CTA personnel could actually collect fare on the trains - like Metra still does.

I think the transit union proposed a transit police. Other transit authorities around America has their own transit police such as MARTA (Atlanta), BART (San Francisco), or even WMATA (Washington Metro). Of course this is about using armed security not creating a police force for CTA.

It's perfectly reasonable at least from the transit union representative Keith Hill that there are routes on CTA that are in need of a security presence to back up bus drivers and certainly rail operators. They even noted an incident where a disgruntled passenger shot at a bus when the driver requested the passenger wear a face mask.

I do sometimes wish there were some security who could get the homeless off the train once it stops at 95th like they used to. Perhaps another thing the union could ask for.

CBS Chicago: A year after the unrest

 

[VIDEO] I hate to share this on Memorial Day weekend where many of us expect things to begin to turn to normal as we're starting to get out of this pandemic. A year ago downtown was hit by rioting and the neighborhoods was hit by looting. 

We see shots of what looks like 95th & Calumet where business owner Shontee Ross' salon was looted the last weekend of May last year. She has deepened her resolve and will reopen her business near 69th & King Drive where we see drone shots from CBS 2 of that particular area. Ross does make the below statement:

“There’s no way that you can look at neighborhoods like this and say looting could have been justified,” Ross said.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy memorial day. 

Update to the alleged gunman who chased Sen. Sims in Springfield

 You can read the update at CapFax. The man a Sprinfield business owner named Michael L. Hoyle pleaded not guilty and his trial is schedule for July. He was able to post a $15,000 bail the day after the incident.

Springfield-area man who allegedly chased Sen. Sims in his car and pointed gun enters not guilty plea https://t.co/1mHmKu8M9b

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) April 23, 2021

ABC 7 Chicago: Cook County gun sales spike during COVID-19 pandemic, data shows

 

[VIDEO] Just saw this on YouTube this afternoon and decided to share it with you. This is how Chuck Goudie starts off his report:

For months the I-Team has been looking into a nationwide run on guns and especially the appetite for firearms in Illinois, following COVID lockdowns and the violence after the George Floyd killing by police.

Every time a gun is sold in Cook County, the taxpayers benefit because the gun buyer pays a tax. According to Open Records data obtained by the I-Team, business was booming last year.

Total gun tax revenue in Cook County was more than $1.9 million dollars, a tax revenue increase of 56% compared with the previous year.

How many of you have purchased a gun? Are you concerned about these uprecedented and uncertain times? 

WGN: CTA bus driver carjacked in employee parking lot Friday afternoon

 

[VIDEO] The incident shown here happened at 77th Bus Garage (210 W. 79th Street). Suspects carjacked a CTA bus driver who gave up his keys and ran. He was still shot at while running but wasn't hit - thank goodness.

This was said to be the third incident of gun violence towards CTA bus drivers with an incident at 57th & Laramie and on the 6 Jeffery Jump.

Be careful out there everyone.

CBS Chicago: Large Crowds Show Up In Chicago Loop, Prompting Police Response

 

[VIDEO] I got caught up in this on Saturday night. Thankfully I was away from the action as I saw a line of Chicago Police vehicles along Washington Blvd from State to Wabash and then to Michigan Avenue at least. It appeared the focus was near the Christmas tree in Millenium Park.

CBS Chicago: New city budget include police budget cuts

 

[VIDEO] There were members of the Chicago City Council who expressed interest in "defunding" the police here in Chicago. I didn't expect this, unless of course someone who observes the city finances expected this.

Also bear in mind Illinois voters will be voting on changing the state constitution to allow for a progressive or graduated income tax - you might have seen ads that advocate for a fair tax on the wealthy residents of this state. These cuts are also dependent upon any relief from the federal gov't and it seems for the moment none is forthcoming.

This has been a year of calamity. We've gotten the economic realities of the pandemic with many businesses considered non-essential at one point. Worse still jobs that were considered non-essential will probably not come back. And let's not forget the summer's unrest over police actions around America. Unfortunately some tough decisions will have to be made.

You will see Ward 9 Ald. Anthony Beale here agreeing with the mayor as far as why there shouldn't be deeper cuts in the CPD budget.