We didn't think we'd ever be able to say this, but "Thank you, Ald. Shiller." We wish you'd have done this years ago. We wish you'd come out firmly against crime and made that a priority for your ward. We wish the gangbangers had never gotten the strong foothold in Uptown that we're living with now, and we wish the four people who were murdered on our streets this year were alive to appreciate the new cameras. But we're happy to have them. Thank you.
In the meantime, a reader tells us that Michael Carroll held a holiday party in his office across the street from the CAPS meeting. "I don't know who's running the campaign for this guy, but scheduling your holiday party/fundraiser up against the 2312 CAPS beat meeting that is taking place across the street at 7pm seems to be a foolish idea."
Are these the flashing blue light cameras?
ReplyDeleteI think the blue flashing light cameras are dumb. They tend to make you feel less safe because it says loud and clear "Hey Pssst You, Yeah you down there, this is a bad neigborhood and if you get murdured or robbed at least we will maybe capture that on camera and someone will maybe look at the footage later...."
Instead have SECRET cameras and USE them to fight crime, and WATCH them in realtime so that maybe something can be done in REAL TIME.
I think the flashing blue cameras actually ghettoize an area.
Its blight.
THOSE BLUE LIGHT CAMERAS ARE STUPID and a complete waste of money. Ask the Commander or ANY cop exactly how many crimes have been solved by using the film from these.. the answer... ready? ABSOLUTELY ZERO Seriously, NOT ONE crime in Uptown has been solved because of these cameras... and what we get is the look of a complete ghetto full of completely ineffective Blue Light cameras that do nothing but make Uptown look like Alcatraz... THAT is why Shiller doesnt care about putting them up.. the cops NEVER use them to solve crimes....
ReplyDeleteI would REALLY like to hear from the Aldermanic candidates on this incredibly stupid idea...
Put one at Wilson and Broadway without the blue lights. Move them around every so often, lets keep the gangbangers and dope boys off guard.
ReplyDeleteI don't think these are the 1st generation "Blue Blinkies". They have some new features the others don't as well.
ReplyDeleteGo do your homework, and then tell us what Uptown needs.
Merry Christmas!
JL
@geofredo
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree with you. Here's my suggestion by way of cameras.
WASTE OF TAXPAYERS MONEY.
ReplyDeleteThey are great in theory but you need to have paid officers monitor the cameras which CPD has next to none of.
What do the cameras run? $25k a pop? How about we employ one or two officers for just one year with that money. If they just make one arrest then they would be more effective than the cameras. How about we use $75k to have private foot patrols in the hot spots?
Anything but the useless cameras.
@ Rob Ross. Excellent idea. There's a website called earthcam.com that gives live feeds from different parts of Chicago. They only have a handful of locations in the city that have these live feeds-why not add more?
ReplyDeleteAn excellent suggestion indeed Mr. Ross!
ReplyDeleteWe already have a program where private CC cameras are accessible to the CPD, so why not turn it around?
We have a lot of people geeking around with police scanners, give them something to do that's not after-the-fact. Instead of taxpayer dollars we could use taxpayer eyeballs.
People could open up a Cam in a small window while they read the UU or shop on Amazon......
It might freak out a pitiful few....but what doesn't? They are few and pitiful for a good reason.
Merry Christmas Uptownuvians!
I'm not sure if kudos are in order or not. I'd much rather have her show up at a positive loitering event. Or at the very least...HAVE a public statement about the latest crime wave in Uptown.
ReplyDeleteThat aside.....MERRY XMAS Uptown!
The cameras are being installed at the request of both police commanders.
ReplyDeleteCameras don't do much other than push the problem onto another street.
ReplyDeleteHFC, there's a reason why the police commanders think the use of blue-light cameras are worth it.
ReplyDeleteIf the blue-light cameras push the thugs over to my block, then I'll call the police on them. Sooner or later, these thugs will learn that it's both the cameras and concerned residents who will make their lives miserable and they'll move to another neighborhood where people find it's a bother to address crime.