Sunday, November 15, 2009

Just Another Uptown Saturday Night

Sheesh, it's enough to make a person wish for snow and ice. Three different gang brawls that we're aware of tonight, two coming in from readers and one we stumbled into ourselves:

- "There was a fight that we witnessed - medium sized group - full blown brawl - 7:10PM tonight. Sheridan between Ainslie and Lawrence, in front of the mattress store across from the Boys & Girls Club. CPD on the scene shortly after."

- All hell broke loose on Wilson near the el stop around 10:15PM. A car got set on fire and it ran into the Red Line support columns. The ensuing brawl went west, right in the middle of Wilson Avenue, and even the immediate presence of the police couldn't get it to stop for several blocks. Units from the 20th District responded along with 23rd District cars; Wilson was temporarily closed until things calmed down; the gangbangers ran away in several directions, including running around the back of Truman College.

- "Gang fight on the 4400 block Broadway at 12:45AM. Cops called and came real quick."

No wonder Ald. Shiller is holding her fundraiser south of Irving Park. Who knows what her big-money donors might run into in Uptown if it turns out to be a nice, mild night like Saturday?

22 comments:

  1. Not to pile on; but, y'all didn't mention the reports of "shots fired" (6) from Wilson and Kenmore around 10:00pm.

    Briefly, CPD shut down vehicle traffic between Sheridan and Racine, along Wilson.

    Seems that Uptown wasn't alone, last night.

    Read the link within the article about the Peace Summit, and let's re-open the discussion as to CeaseFire's effectiveness.

    Anyway, my suggestion for this task force might be to calm the Sheridan corridor south of Lawrence, before investing in business and/or beautification north of it.

    And ... not to say "we told you this was going to happen if gang violence weren't taken seriously"; but, ... we told ya' so.

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  2. This is getting out of control. I am not sure what the legal way to put these thugs in jail is as they keep disturbing the peace and destroying stuff. There has to be some sort of strike rule otherwise they get locked up for hours and are back out. So frustrating.

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  3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i98_Lqcryp8

    Perhaps Sam Cooke should have rephrased his song.

    "Another Saturday Night and I ain't Shot Nobody, I gotta gun".........

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  4. This isn't "getting out of control," it's already completely out of control and escalating. Uptown is a veritable war zone where effectively anything goes. The police are undermanned and unresponsive.

    These thugs will continue to own the neighborhood and rule it with terror until something drastic is done.

    I like the National Guard idea.

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  5. "The police are undermanned and unresponsive."

    No, I can't agree with that. Reread the reports from people who saw what happened. They all say the police showed up immediately. I saw police from two districts show up within a minute of the violence starting.

    My feeling is, the bangers feel no repercussions. They create violence and then scatter.

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  6. I didn't mean to imply that the police didn't respond in this situation, sorry. I definitely agree that these people feel no repercussions. It's a big part of why this activity continues unabated.

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  7. wow i knew there would be a story on here today. last night i was outside near montrose and i saw some cops coming up b-way and sheridan. they never stopped. i counted 12 marked cars, 1 unmarked, and 3 paddy wagons for a total of 16 units responding. some went down montrose west and back up and some went up broadway. by the sheer number of responding units doing about 80mph i knew it had to be just a typical night near Wilson Ave. Here's a thought why dont they build a police substation on Wilson or have cops just sitting there waiting instead of burning all that fuel racing up from the Addison station?

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  8. Walter Jacobson takes a shot at Da Mare on CBS2. Da Mare shoots back.

    Perhaps we should let them hang out around Sheridan and Leland.

    Anyway you'll have to click on the two videos as I can't link to them directly.

    I like Walter's comment about the Mayor searching for a replacment from his own family.........snicker.

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  9. Yo,
    I think Shiller should have been at the meeting to take care of South of Lawrence. You can't expect other Alderman to step in and take care of all the problems along the entire stretch. We have to take care of parts of it at a time, you can't take everything by storm. One piece at a time and it will eventually grow together.

    Smith can only make improvements before she oversteps certain people. The community has the right to join her bandwagon to help improve what it can. I support the task force in an effort to beautify atleast some of Sheridan. Hopefully, the next alderman will join her in the efforts.

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  10. Don't bother with this Helen. I don't think have the ability, passion, fortitude or intelligence to do anything to stop the violence. Ignorance is bliss.

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  11. Agreed. Just curious if/how gang activity would affect the effort north.

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  12. I know the car in that picture. It broke down on Montrose near Magnolia a week or two ago. I watched four individuals exit the car when it was stuck in the middle of the road. Its not a surprise to hear they may have been involved in an altercation.

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  13. I would think the homeland security laws could be used to control the gang activity

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  14. I would think the homeland security laws could be used to control the gang activity

    Like I said here before, these thugs would seem to qualify as (urban) terrorists, so treat them as such.

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  15. It's just a repeat cycle Chicago will look like the slum it did years ago and people that can afford to will get out.

    Funny thing if the Alderman were doing their jobs the City would be in good shape.

    Daley knows this too that is he is trying to sell off everything while people are willing to buy it.

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  16. It's become, since the shooting a couple weeks ago in front of Helen's office, where it's dangerous to walk around and go about my business any time of day. My civil rights are violated being constrained. I thought a CPD sub-station by the L was called for so how to put that in motion?

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  17. Does Schiller ever come to public meetings or seem like she is connected to your community?

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  18. It's a circular issue. Helen doesn't like to have public meetings because many constituents don't like her and many constituents don't like her because she doesn't have public meetings, plus she just isn't responsive to the glaring needs seen all around us. She's in a big mess that she created.

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  19. I have to think that Helen cant go many places in the ward now days let alone meetings where public opinion can be made. I agree Holey Moley in the fact that she has brought this on herself.

    She has basically made herself useless in many respects. At least it will be over soon.

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  20. There need to be bigger consequences for these wastes of human lives that are pulling this crap. They obviously have nothing to lose. .

    I blame the parents for their children turning out the way they did; allowing them to turn into the criminals they have become.

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