State Police to double presence on Chicago area expressways

 A subject I've been looking at of late and it seems there will be some efforts to make the commute safer for everyone traveling through the city. Story from the Lake & McHenry County Scanner

The Illinois State Police announced they will be more than doubling their patrol presence on Chicago area expressways beginning Friday in an effort to combat a surge in shootings.

The patrol presence will be increased by 157% during “peak criminal activity times” on Chicago area expressways as part of District Chicago’s Safe Drive Detail.

This increased presence will begin in the evening and continue through the overnight hour shifts, Illinois State Police (ISP) said.

...

As part of the Safe Drive Detail, the ISP will reallocate officers from around the state to District Chicago to prevent roadway violence and provide ISP Patrol District Chicago maximum staffing in high violence shifts throughout each month.

There will also be additional enforcement and visibility details taking place throughout Chicagoland expressways aimed at reducing violence.

“ISP’s number one priority is and will always be to keep the public safe. ISP officers will continue to proactively patrol Chicagoland expressways with the goal of ensuring public safety and preventing violence,” state police said in a statement.

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.

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.

NO, not this again!!! Looting downtown overnight

[VIDEO] The last time this activity happened downtown, especially in the last weekend of may in national demonstrations over what happened with George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn - it came here. Peaceful demonstrations great and then came the rioting, vandalism, and looting. Worse still once it happened downtown, it came to the neighborhoods on the west and south sides which are still recovering from them.

I'd say check out the comments in the above video. A lot of people making their own references to who committed the most recent acts of looting and violence downtown. Some of it offensive from some of you.

It lets me know that we really haven't settled down from what happened over two months ago. We're still under some forms of unrest in this city. Granted there were other hiccups such as what happened at a Christopher Columbus statue on the lakefront.

And you know 2nd City Cop had something to say about this and noting that Mayor Lightfoot over the weekend crashed Montrose Beach after a significant group of people congregated there during a pandemic.

I want to share this video from The Hill which often covers what's going on in the US Congress about the chaos from overnight. Even they're paying attention. [VIDEO]

I hate to ask this question, have we started to lose control?

What's going on with this bus shelter at 79th/Cottage Grove

79th/Cottage Grove bus shelter loitering

You might have seen this photograph circulating on Facebook and I've been trying to determine where at 79th/Cottage Grove this was located. I see in a recent article from Block Club Chi that this was probably in front of the currency exchange on the north east corner of 79th & Cottage.

A bench was removed from this shelter and people who want to just hang out here simply bring their own chairs. I've even seen reports online that although these loiterers may seem menacing at first glance have been courteous enough to offer their chairs to those waiting for a bus. Certainly a plus for any senior citizen who are taking public transit.

However, this is an issue that the police and the 8th Ward Ald. Michelle Harris are looking to take care of the loitering and have taken steps:

Administrators of the Concerned Citizens of Chatham, a popular neighborhood Facebook page, said there were requests to remove the bus shelter bench, as well as one on 71st Street and Indiana Ave., due to the robberies and other “dangerous activities” at both locations.

The shelter bench at 71st Street remained in place as of Sunday.

Harris and 6th District Police Cmdr. Rahman Muhammad said they believe the removals are a good way to combat loitering. But when asked about how the removal affects elderly riders and passengers with disabilities, Harris said the move removal was only temporary.

“Once we get things under control, it will return,” Harris said. “I and Cmdr. Muhammad will be monitoring the intersection for the next week or so, and going from there.”

Muhammad said he is taking a “three-pronged approach” to tackle the problem.

“Firstly, offering those individuals a warning to leave the area, while at the same time giving them job fliers for employment opportunities,” Muhammad said.

Harris and Muhammad are planning to meet with CTA leadership “in the near future” about the issue and possible solutions.

“There will be weekly updates,” said Harris, who added that she hopes to have a meeting with the owner of the nearby currency exchange to persuade them to hire security.

Here's an update with the above photo from Worlee Glover's Concerned Citizens of Chatham

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Family of woman struck by train at 69th on Thursday speaks out

[VIDEO] The sister of the victim - Felon Smith - of last Thursday's fatal incident at 69th Street on the CTA Red Line speaks out with regards to leaked surveillance footage of this tragic incident. Smith wasn't able to get back up to the train platform after going onto the tracks to find her cell phone.

Also of issue is the evils of social media which the sister also speaks out on. I believe social media is a great tool and certainly allows everyday people a platform unfortunately a lot of awful comments can be said by a variety of people who know very little of the situation itself. With this said I'm glad I never saw any negative comments of this incident and just stop my thoughts on this at a woman got hit by a train looking for her phone.

Also another issue discussed the above video from CBS 2 is the staffing at these stations. I don't imagine that most stations on CTA are staffed with a lot of people even at peak times. As seen in the stills of the leaked surveillance video there was a K9 security person nearby Smith before the train came, what's not clear if that individual was on duty for CTA at that moment.

I want to reiterate what's stated from the CTA's website that if you drop something of value onto the tracks you should find a CTA employee to retrieve it for you. This tragic incident will keep me off the tracks!

Woman struck and killed by train at 69th

[VIDEO] This incident happened earlier today and you might have seen some tweets about it especially an article about this from the Sun-Times and some CTA updates about the commute on the red line. It's interesting to see CTA only refer to what happened as a medical emergency, however, the news media refer to the real details of what happened.

Travel Advisory: High Risk Funeral Procession

You might have seen this from Concerned Citizen's of Chatham and I see that Ald. Anthony Beale posted this as well (at least until it was deleted).

Let me state the route of this procession

Therefore neighborhood advocates involved with peacekeeping activities are calling for all area residents, businesses and faith based organizations to be aware and cautious when using, or crossing, Cottage Grove Ave between 115th street & 67th (Marquette road) between the hours of 1pm until 3pm 2 hours), where a procession leaving the "House of Hope" will travel to Oakwoods cemetery.

From what I'm seeing as far as comments this might involve the funeral of Lawrence "Big Law" Loggins who was murdered earlier this month. Police fear retaliation in his murder.

Free rides on CTA for New Year's Eve

If only I had somewhere to be on New Year's to take advantage of this from CTA. Here's hoping you're ringing in New Years' safely especially if you're going somewhere to party.

From NBC Chicago:

New Year’s Eve revelers will once again be able to get home safely, and cheaply, thanks to the Chicago Transit Authority.

Beginning at 10 p.m. New Year’s Eve, all CTA buses and trains will be free to ride for all riders as part of a sponsorship deal with Miller Lite beer.

Customers will not have to touch their Ventra cards to take advantage of the free rides, and will be able to ride until 4 a.m. without cost.

And this is kind of harsh

Customers that touch their Ventra cards to turnstiles or on buses will not be eligible for refunds, the agency cautions.

Well if you read this blog, you know now don't tap your Ventra cards. And don't give any money to anyone who will tap you onto a train or bus because at least from 10:00 PM to 4:00 AM on New Years Eve you will ride for free on CTA. There's no need for that new emerging hustle on that holiday...

BTW, here's an ig post from CTA about this, at least now we have something visual about the free rides on New Years Eve. Just remember don't accept any hustler who will tap you onto a train or bus for a small fee on New Years Eve from 10 PM to 4 AM.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Chicago Transit Authority (@chicagocta) on Dec 28, 2018 at 7:20pm PST

Armed & fabulous: In Chicago, women worried about violence join gun club.

GO FALCONS

Found this article over at Instapundit. They're talking about a local business that offers gun training classes.

Javondlynn Dunagan, came up with the idea of gun training classes geared toward women, and for the "Ladies of Steel" gun club -- after successful training, the women gather twice a month to practice their skills.

Dunagan served as a parole officer for 25 years before finishing her career in January, but had rarely held a gun when dealing with convicts.

She said she started carrying one after divorcing her police officer husband.

"I was at home by myself with my daughter, and I was used to having a firearm in a home with my ex-husband," she explained. "So, I wanted to make sure that we were safe."

But Dunagan noticed something curious when she visited gun ranges around Chicago to practice.

"I noticed that I never saw two women at the range together or a group of ladies," she recounted.

As for the answer to women who are scared of guns:

That answer prompted her to start JMD Defense & Investigations, offering gun training programs geared towards women. The "investigations" side of the business will debut next year.

Dunagan also offers classes such as the "Mommy & Me Self-Defense Class," where women can bring their daughters, ages 8-18 years, to learn hand-to-hand combat.

"That came about because my daughter was going to college four years ago and she couldn't find a self-defense class on the south side of Chicago," Dunagan said.

Her clients are from the predominantly African-American communities in Chicago's south side, in or near neighborhoods struggling with runaway gun violence.

If you'd like follow JMD (visit their website) on ig. Their offices are located in Beverly at 1447 W. 103rd Street

Our Ladies of Steel Gun Club is growing fast. We support one another, eat at our meetings, we learn together and most importantly we shoot together! We are hearing an awesome presentation about how to clean and maintain our firearms. We offer firearm cleaning classes too!

A post shared by JMD Defense & Investigations (@jmddefenseinvestigations) on Jul 18, 2017 at 4:41pm PDT

Keeping 79th Street safe on Fridays , starting TOMORROW!

The merchants on 79th street will gather at the corner of several streets along 79th during the summer. It is part of the 79th Street Corridor Business Association's "Safe Summer 2017".

They ask participants & supporters to wear Orange on Friday evenings, 6pm -8pm.

While our presence will provide safety, the organization will also provide resources such as for health services, training and jobs.

The schedule is as follows, all on Friday evenings:

• June 30 =  Cottage Grove
• July 7 =  Ingleside
• July 14 = Langley 
• July 21 = King Drive 
• July 28 = Eberhart
• August 4 = Evans 
• August 11 = St. Lawrence
• August 18 = Vernon
• August 25 = Cottage Grove 

We would love to post photos of any night you attend, as well as any stories. Send them to blog (at) the sixthward (dot) us

DNA Info: CPS Changes Start Times For 82 Chicago Schools (FULL LIST)

In addition to change start times at 82 city schools, CPS also plans to consolidate school bus stops:

In the past, CPS buses have picked up magnet and selective-enrollment students at 450 stops — stops located at their neighborhood schools — across the city. But this fall, CPS plans to consolidate the number of bus stops to 180.

According to a statement, "the plan to shift bus arrival times resulted from an analysis that revealed that CPS’ transportation costs far outpace those at other large, urban districts."

At an LSC meeting at Andrew Jackson Language Academy last week, Martin Ellinger, CPS manager of student transportation routing, said the district is working to ensure the security of students and to make sure no children have to cross gang lines or other unsafe areas.

The eliminated bus routes will force some kids to walk up to 1.5 miles to their nearest stop, the district said.

Click on the link to DNA Info's article for the list of schools and see if your neighborhood school's start time is expected to change. We also hope that if your child takes a bus to school no major changes as far as where they should catch their bus.

HuffPost: Mark Kirk Says People Drive Faster Through Black Neighborhoods

Sen. Mark Kirk

Disappointing coming from a Republican US Senator who just so happened to get elected to a seat once held by not only the current President of the United States but also the first Black woman elected to that presitigious body. Not only that he toured Englewood almost two years back:

The comment, with its racial undertones, came during a sit-down interview with the Peoria Journal Star and followed a question about how to encourage business development in Kirk's home state.

“I want to make sure we have elected people constantly looking at helping the African-American community,” Kirk said. “With this state and all of its resources, we could sponsor a whole new class of potential innovators like George Washington Carver and eventually have a class of African-American billionaires. That would really adjust income differentials and make the diversity and outcome of the state much better so that the black community is not the one we drive faster through." [emphasis added.]

The notion that people hit the gas when driving through black neighborhoods is a common racial stereotype about urbanization and criminal behavior among African-Americans. The fact that an elected senator from a state with a sizable black population would make such a comment was deemed unfortunate by at least one African-American leader in Illinois.

"I think what he was trying to say is, he was trying to relate that to crime. But boy, it was a poor choice of phraseology," said George Mitchell, president of the NAACP's Illinois State Conference.

Later a response from Sen. Kirk's office was added to this article:

Eleni Demertzis, Kirk's press secretary, emailed the following response to questions about the senator's comments from last week: "Anyone watching network news in Chicago is aware of the frequent killings and violence that affects various communities in Illinois. Senator Kirk is active in fighting gang violence, keeping assault weapons off the streets, and working within the African-American community to find aspiring entrepreneurs. No one can question Senator Kirk’s commitment to the African-American community."

What are your thoughts?

Reminder: Methadone Clinic protest Saturday at 10:30am

Here a re two more reminders we received regarding the protest against the Methadone clinic at 100 E.  79th street. It begins Saturday, November 1 at 10:30am:

here's the Greater chatham Alliance press release:

CHICAGO--Members of the Greater Chatham Alliance Community Organization (GCA), area residents, local educators, parents and business owners will hold a march and rally to demandthat owners of the Nuway Community Services Methadone Clinic, (79th and Michigan), finallyresolve the ever-growing, public nuisance, disturbance and loitering complaints created by their patients receiving treatment.

The demonstration will take place on Saturday, November 1st starting at 10:30 am in front of the Chatham Avalon Medical Center, located at 110 E. 79th street. Area residents from both Chatham and Park Manor, local school educators and parents, and 79th street business owners will discuss how the loitering and disturbance situation has created conflict on the 79th street corridor all the way to 76th street from Michigan Avenue to King Drive).

Residents will discuss examples of morning incidents where methadone patients hide in their backyards or side entrances, or stand in front of their garages and alleys to avoid police detection as early as 5:00 am--one hour before the clinic opens.Ruggles elementary school parents and teachers will cite occasions like naked manfound sleeping in the nearby school park or patients lingering all day on and near schoolgrounds after receiving treatment.

Area business owners will be asked to discuss examples of how ill-tempered patients loiter in their stores, which often lead to confrontations with their staff and customers.

GCA has repeatedly asked to meet with Olajide Solola, President of the Nuway CommunityServices Methadone Clinic, to ask him to provide a patrolling security service that would marshal non-resident methadone patients to leave the area after receiving their treatments.

The organization feels that this would not only be a reasonable and fair negotiated step toavoid patient and resident / business confrontations, but also stem sales by some patientsto other methadone clients in order to buy heroin from local drug dealers who canvass the area.GCA, as a spokesman for the community, will seek other options to help press for the relocationof the clinic if the clinic owners do not provide a comprehensive security patrol.

This one is from Cee Powell, a resident:

I hope you all remain safe on CTA

Surveillance images of robbery

I realize this story is outside of the scope of this blog, but this is certainly worth sharing. I ride the L everyday to get to work or whatever, and this is certainly sobering. These guys knew at what point to make their move and did it boldly.

This incident occurred on the CTA Orange Line and the perpetrators probably knew many of the passengers were arriving into Chicago knowing very little about the city and CTA. They also struck just as the train was on the longest part of the route without a station to stop at. No one either attempted to escape to another car through the emergency doors - something you're not supposed to do anyway - and no one hit the button to talk to the train motorman.

On the flip side the perpetrators remained on one car until the train stopped at Roosevelt. It's still an unfortunate incident and police are now looking for them.

BTW, reading this Tribune article we hear the head of CTA's rail workers union still wants to see conductors returned to trains. Conductor jobs had been cut since 1997 and even then the CTA union cited potential situations such as this to say eliminating those jobs was a bad idea.

Still at least we have ways of contacting CTA personnel if something criminal or dangerous is occurring on board the train and plans could be made to involve the police. In addition CTA cited that there are cameras on board most CTA rail vehicles, buses, and L stations.

All the same whether or not there are extra eyes on the train with police, CTA personnel, or surveillance cameras here's hoping you remain alert at all times.

Capitol Fax: Chicago’s security priorities

Rich Miller of the Capitol Fax took a brief trip to Chicago this past holiday weekend. Even he sees the need for better priorities for police resources. While it makes sense to take care of downtown Chicago especially on such a busy holiday weekend as the 4th of July, there needs to be a significant police presence in those areas of our city that needs attention.

What do you think about the security priorities in Chicago?

Technology For Empowerment Seminars for 2014

We the bloggers are planning, for February, a series

of technology seminars "Technology for Empowerment" to introduce tech services, to those 25-65 who are tech adverse, to show how technology can assist in creating a better quality of life. Some of our proposed topics at this point are

 

1. Smartphones
2. Crowdsourcing/Employment
3. Financial 
4. Safety
5. Government
6. Quality of Life 

 We are securing company representatives and experts in the above areas. If you would like  to be a part of the seminars or have suggestions, please send us a message.

Speed cameras coming to Abbott Park near end of September

According to the Chicago Tribune with an explanation of this program:

Just as most Chicagoans were heading into the holiday weekend and tuning out the news, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the full list of 50 locations where the city will put up ticket-issuing speed cameras near parks and schools by the end of the year.

The Emanuel administration previously had announced 12 of the locations where one or more of the cops in a box will be keeping an eye on motorists during school and park hours. A news release issued Friday afternoon includes the other 38 sites. Each camera, like those already up, will trigger warning tickets during the first 30 days. After that, drivers exceeding the speed limit by between 6 and 10 mph will get $35 tickets in the mail. Those exceeding the limit by more than 10 mph will get $100 tickets.

Near parks, the cameras will be active when the parks are open, generally from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. The speed limits near parks is 30 mph.

Near schools, the cameras will be active from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on school days. From 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., the speed limit in those areas is 20 mph when children are present and 30 mph when they are not. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., the limit is 30 mph.

Under state law, the city can install the cameras at up to 300 schools and parks in designated safety zones. A Tribune analysis showed they could cover nearly half the city.

The article contains the full listing of all locations where these cameras are expected to be installed.

Hat-tip Uptown Update.

Ruggles playground slide -- still NOT fixed!

On May 28, I reported how Ruggles playground has had a slide that has been broken for several months (possibly as early as last summer),

That 311 case number was 13-00586860, and it was left on May 15.

I called on Wednesday, July 24 (2 months later). No action has been done, but I have a new case number  = 13-01016700.

I won't go over the whole post (we have more photos there as well), but hundreds of SMALL CHILDREN use that park every day over the course of this summer, and especially during the school year.  How long will this problem stay a problem?

Please call 311 to get updates, as well as Alderman Rod Sawyer's office.

Crain's: Business takes aim at city violence

Action on Cottage Grove last month from Crain's article

Here's the genesis of this:

On Jan. 4, moments before presiding over the graduation of 56 police recruits, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and an aide met in a small room at Navy Pier with three of corporate Chicago's biggest names: Allstate Corp. Chairman and CEO Tom Wilson, Loop Capital Markets LLC Chairman and CEO Jim Reynolds Jr. and mayoral adviser Michael Sacks, CEO of Grosvenor Capital Management LP.

The subject was the city's scandalous street violence. The horrifying murder of Hadiya Pendleton, the teen who performed at an inaugural event for President Barack Obama, would not happen for another three weeks, but a summer of escalating homicide numbers and high-profile incidents on Michigan Avenue had made the city's safety a national topic of concern.

Although it wouldn't be announced for another month, what emerged from that meeting was an unusual corporate effort to combat street violence. The mayor previously had worked with Messrs. Wilson and Reynolds on anti-violence initiatives and issues in the black community, and he asked them to lead a five-year, $50 million project—one of the largest public-private partnerships for at-risk youth in the nation—with the awkward title of “Get In Chicago.”

While no one argues with the goal of reducing violence, the name of the project isn't the only ungainly aspect of the effort. Basic questions remain: How will the organization be managed? Which social service groups will get funding and which will lose out? Is a new group really necessary? And what constitutes success?

The fundraising campaign has been a triumph, with the city announcing last week that the group already has commitments for $40.9 million, including $5 million each from Allstate, Exelon Corp. and Boeing Co. “I've never seen anything like this,” Mr. Reynolds says of the response from the business community. “We continue to get inquiries about it and people asking how they can get involved in ways beyond money.”

Well, the business community has to be as much a part of reducing the violence in this city as any other stakeholder. Safety has to be important especially when it comes to commerce. Ald. Sawyer was quoted in this piece as well:

Ald. Roderick Sawyer, whose 6th Ward encompasses some of the areas that will be targeted by the effort, praises the idea of big business funding to fight neighborhood ills. But he also questions how the participants were selected.

“To exclude me and others who were not approached is a disservice,” he says. “I can't tell people what to do with their money, but I think I could be a resource in a community where I've lived all my life. I think I know a little bit.”

Hmmmm, so there are questions about this initiative as you read in the excerpt. Apparently the usage and the consulting of this fund isn't at all very inclusive.