A reader writes in:"About 6:30 pm this evening there was a major gang disturbance at the corner of Malden and Leland. I was walking my dogs and all of a sudden there was a gang of about 15-20 African Americans (at least 3 regular gang members who are at that corner every night) started yelling and running after someone with bats and sticks. At least one had a gun and there were reports that shots were fired closer to Wilson. There were many neighbors out at that time and we all called 911 and cleared out. A girl was screaming help. Several of us came back out after the police arrived (about 4 cars) and as usual the gang disbursed into one of three buildings ... the JPUSA building at the corner, the section 8 house next to it on Malden and the building across the street from it on the south corner that has an entrance on Leland. Several were taken into squad cars, questioned and RELEASED back on the street. 30 minutes later 8 of the exact same gang bangers are at the corner. I call 911 and asked for the police to be sent back out and had the worst experience with the dispatcher. He was rude, patronizing and when I asked to be transferred to the district seargent's desk he said he didn't have that information and also didn't know what police district we were in. He kept interrupting me and stated "his job was to ask questions before they send the police out" and that it didn't matter what happened 30 minutes ago or that one of the gang members who was there was seen with a gun during the disturbance.
Please be vigilant in this area. Last night there was a fight at 3 am and Monday night (4 am) gun shots fired and reported by numerous neighbors. I have lived here for 7 years and this is the WORST consistent violent gang activity at Malden and Leland that I have seen since I first moved here."
i've lived here 4 years and by FAR this is the worst year i've seen in the area. i'm sure we've heard this many times this year though already. thanks UU for keeping up with the posts almost in real time! it's awful what is happening, but it's great we can all be informed.
ReplyDeleteIf you see anything suspicious make sure to call 911! trust your gut and call. we need to be PROACTIVE not REACTIVE!
ReplyDeleteYea but now according to the Blotter, the gangbangers are calling 911 with false info to throw the police off in the chase.
ReplyDeleteWow--thanks for the info. Soooooo happy I was walking around there about an hour earlier (not). I'll definitely keep my eyes wide open for sure.
ReplyDeleteThat's the last straw for me, I'm outta here. :(
ReplyDeleteToo close to home for my comfort.
Do we have street addresses for the 3 buildings mentioned in this post?
ReplyDeleteIt's time for the all these government subsidized low income housing providers who are housing these gang headquarters to be held accountable for what they are doing to our community using our tax dollars.
"A girl was screaming help. ...the gang disbursed into the JPUSA building at the corner, the section 8 house next to it on Malden and the building across the street from it on the south corner that has an entrance on Leland."
ReplyDelete"A girl was screaming help." It is not only evildoer condo owners who are crying out for help from you, Helen Shiller (and your entrenched supporters). It is also some of the very people that you claim to want to give voice to. If you really intend to let their voices be heard, then stop only repeating the refrains that serve your political, ideological or "spiritual" purposes. Those kids were too young to die---PERIOD. I don't care if heaven is a better place for them---it is not your place, Helen Shiller & staff & JPUSA, to be making that kind of judgment. As leaders HERE ON EARTH, it is woefully pathetic to not only be washing your hands of the situation but also offering nothing but empty aphorisms to the very people you have chosen to serve.
It is time for the powers-that-be to recognize that nowadays gun violence and the drug trade often accompany poverty. It is time for the powers-that-be to stop excusing away this reality and pointing fingers in the wrong direction. It is time for the powers-that-be to acknowledge that violence and murder on our streets are unacceptable and that there is a broad constituency who does not want to see our young people bleeding to death on a street corner and gone for good." A girl was screaming help."
The building addresses are:
ReplyDelete4650 N. Malden (next to Gooseberry Park)
JPUSA Building (Malden entrance next to 4650 N Malden but can't see number, the Leland side of this building is 1311-1313-1315 Leland)
building across the street from these 2--don't know the address to the Malden entrance, but the Leland side of the building's address is 1263/65 and 1269 Leland.
The other very problematic building near this corner is the Miriam Apts at 4707 N. Malden--this building is an SRO and is not as bad as it used to be but still has a few women who consistently are out at night on the corner as prostitutes and drug users (I see them buying all the time and at least a few are visibly "cracked out"). They may have other roles with the gangbangers, but it's hard to state beyond the definite prostitution and drug buying/using.
By allowing gang members to knowingly live in these houses the City of Chicago and the tax payers are forced to subsidize these gangs. These people should be kicked out of these houses now! I am sick of this!
ReplyDeleteThe building at the northeast corner of Malden and Leland has tons of people hanging out at all hours of the night. Ladies can always be found in night gowns sitting on the firehydrate. I have personally seen them approach several men for 'god knows what'.
ReplyDeleteAltheperson says....LONG HOT SUMMER COMING!!
ReplyDeleteIve Been here 10 years....this is getting worse and it's getting worse all over the country...not just here...that's what happens when you elect fascists to represent you in congress and the presidency...
We have a near fascist mayor...who answers only to the extremely rich and a supplicant alderman...like all the other alderman...they need MONEY...that's all that matters...
This is going to be a LONG HOT SUMMER ...all over the country
"A girl was screaming help. ...the gang disbursed into the JPUSA building at the corner, the section 8 house next to it on Malden and the building across the street from it on the south corner that has an entrance on Leland."
ReplyDeleteA few weeks ago, on the UU there was a form posted that you can fill out for buildings that are known to house gang bangers and drug deals. The owners of the building can be fined up to $10,000 per incident. I suggest someone post the addresses of these buildings and we all fill out forms. Let's be proactive!
This fight must have started on Broadway and headed to Malden. We could here a ton of people screaming "I'm gonna kill you, (expletive deleted) from our condo (Magnolia and Wlson). By the time I got outside to see what the problem was (not my brightest moment, I know), they were already west of us. Scariest thing was, I witnessed children trailing in the wake of the problem like it was a show to watch. Just nuts.
ReplyDeleteIf they fled into the JPUSA building and are using it as a "safehouse" even if they don't live there then I think Pablo is right. We should file a complaint and get them fined the $10,000.
ReplyDeleteNext CAPS meeting is Tuesday,
ReplyDeleteJune 3, at 7 pm Truman.
If UU can direct us to the on-line gang/drug form. Fill it out today.
We did this to get two gang members who were illegally living with their grandmother out of a Voice of the People building.
You have to stay focused and keep the pressure on. We filled out the form, we called 911, we formed a 911 phone tree, we wrote letters to the Police Commander specifically naming the problem tenants, we named the property manager.
All problem buildings that harbor gang members should be mapped out with as much detail as possible.
We all know that the Sunnyside Mall is gang banger HQ for the Black P Stone Rangers. We all know that Magnolia from Montrose to Wilson is the prime gang banger housing mecca. We all know that Leland and Malden is another hot spot.
We all know that the escape route after a shooting is Magnolia to Sunnyside, through Truman's Parking lot and back to Clarendon.
So if we know all this, why can't we do something about it?
If UU can direct us to the on-line gang/drug form. Fill it out today.
ReplyDeleteIt's linked on the right-hand side of the main page. Alphabetically, under G. Gang and Drug House form.
Will anyone at Truman College help? They certainly had a lot to say when they wanted that $10 million for their parking garage. This is the second time in the last 2-3 months that they either had to lock down doors or have their students placed at risk. Don't they have campus security? Shouldn't they be interested in working with the community and the police to make the area safer for their students and faculty at least? Shouldn't they have some sway in City government???
ReplyDeleteIt is so frustrating to me that there are no local institutions that seem either willing or able to address these kinds of issues. We are a community---there should be give AND take.
We are new to the area and live in a building on the corner of Leland and Malden. I am very worried about this violence. I was outside walking our dog minutes before this happened. What can we do?
ReplyDeletecontinue to call 911 when you see something suspicious!!! if you don't get the response you need, call back! talk to a supervisor if need be!
ReplyDeleteI think we all need to remember the great words of our Alderbeast
ReplyDelete"The only neighborhood without crime is heaven"
and
"There really isn't anything you can do"
Maybe we can convice Shiller to hang out at the corner of Leland and Malden so her "people" can take care of her.
Oh, and remember that JPUSA does no wrong, how dare you implicate them in this violence.
I would like to suggest that we create flyers to hand out to Truman students informing them of the violence in the neighborhhod including the fact that it happens during daylight hours when they are here and that one of their fellow students was recently killed (if that is true regarding Broadway/Wilson). Truman is the largest City College and if we can scare their students and maybe affect their enrollment then we can get the powers that be to take action. They are a big power player in the neighborhood. Flyer can be titled "Innocent Truman Student killed after leaving Class by Local Gang Member" Who cares if its true? I just want someone to do something.
ReplyDeleteUm, I hardly think lying to students or exaggerating is the right course of action. The truth is difficult enough. I say, let the facts roll out and then decide what to do. I will personally call the administration of the college (they really seemed like good folks at the parking garage meeting) when we know more of the story. No one wants to see any of the students hurt. There is an opportunity here to improve town/gown relations and have them be more of a positive force for the community. We need each other's help & its worth a shot.
ReplyDeleteWe knew this was going to happen last night. I called CPD 8 times on Tuesday night, reporting the same gang bandgers doing the same thing on Sheridan! They NEVER SHOWED UP!!!
ReplyDeleteinto my 9th year in Chicago and my 3rd in uptown. I have to agree this is the worst year I've seen since moving to the area. I blame Shiller, she consistently does nothing about the problems in our neighborhood, is there some kind of vote of no confidence we could do to get her booted out? Also was there any investigation into the election results I remember she didn't win by a very large margin but yet I have never met anyone in the neighborhood who has admitted to voting for her?
ReplyDeleteThe votes were only challenged in 1 precinct and when all the votes were tallied, it was clear that a challenge would not work. However, given that I spent 1/3 of what Ald. Shiller spent and won 47% of the vote, it sent a clear message to both her and some of her influential contributers that she probably can't survive another run.
ReplyDeleteLast election, I had less than 6 months to prepare. After the election, I have 4 years and suffice to say, I have not been idle. I know where I did well and I know where I didn't. I already have a strong base and I'm building on that, especially in precincts where I will need more votes.
No one can predict the future, but given the present circumstances, I remain optimistic that there will be a change in leadership. In the meantime, this community is proving that they will not sit still and wait for 2011 to happen. I couldn't be more proud.
James, here is my issue with your candidacy. I think you are too nice and not pro=growth enough. I know a large number in my building feel the same way. The fact that you have a background in religion makes us very nervous that you are not goign to be as tough, frankly, with the SROs and CHA Housing people as needs to be done and may not want to move forward as quickly as many of us do. You let Helen's people walk over you at the Disney School forum, and that just does not bode well. If in fact you do decide to run again, I honestly hope you can figure out how to hit back HARD at her people and impress those of us that want change. Otherwise our support will go elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteI was searching and searching for more information about this incident as I live exactly next to these buildings on Malden and Leland...and unfortunately my back door is becoming the target of eggings and the like because my building is connected with the CHA building on the corner and we share gangways to the alley. I've spent time putting out nice flowers and trying to have a comforting outside space, only to have it ruined time and time again.
ReplyDeleteI woke up to this gunfire and I have been pretty terrified ever since, waking up at nearly the same time in a cold sweat. I go to school downtown and walk home from the train nearly every evening, keys in hand ready to fight. But what can I do when people start pulling out guns and shooting? This is insane and I have lived in considerably worse areas (Morse and Lakewood) and I'm absolutely sick of this crap.
I refuse to move out of intimidation or violence. I will take a stand against this and I will do what I can to protect myself and my fellow tenants. I went to chicagogangs.org and found out that we are in the vicinity of the "Imperial Insane Vice Lords." Uh-huh. Take a tour of that site and you'll see what we are dealing with here.
It's time to do a little house cleaning!
Bring this up at the next CAPS meeting. The meetings are at Truman College on the 1st Tuesday of every month at 7pm.
ReplyDeleteHang in there, carol ann.
ReplyDeleteI'll make it a point to attend the next CAPS meeting for sure, I want to get as involved as possible and help others who are experiencing these altercations as well. Thank you for the support. :)
ReplyDelete