A reader writes in with this interesting tidbit:"My neighbor and I thought we would have lunch the other afternoon at Three Harmony at Wilson and Magnolia, in the infamous strip mall where the gangbangers loiter constantly. We love the food but the bangers have really claimed it as one of their bases of operation.
We sat and listened in amazement in the restaurant as around 6 teenage males' cellphones rang off the hook, each time they would answer they said, "We'll meet you in the alley, look for the (various color) hat." There was a constant stream of teens who were just sitting and having a "meeting" in Three Harmony. They never ordered food and just came in and out as they pleased and each time headed out to towards the alley between Magnolia and Malden in the 4500 block. I have noticed a bit less of the drive-thru drug dealing traffic in this strip mall. They must know they are being watched so now they are operating out of the alleys. I called 911 after we left the restaurant. I don't think the owners of Three Harmony are aware of what is going on, or they are intimidated by these kids much like the Food Mart next door."
next time bust out the phone and record them. take stealthy photos.
ReplyDeleteif a business is letting or ignoring this activity, they should be heavily fined or shut down because of it.
the only other reason than being afraid of dope dealers hanging in a restaurant without buying anything would be if they are getting paid off.
cha ching!
Thank you for the post.
ReplyDeleteIf you see this activity, do one of the following. (1) Step out and call 911; (2) text someone and have them call 911; (3) if you have a blackberry (or similar device) e-mail the commander. They will respond. REPORT, REPORT, and REPORT more! That is the only way to get action.
Never used this myself
ReplyDeletehttps://portal.chicagopolice.org/portal/page/portal/ClearPath/Communities/Crime%20Prevention/TXT2TIP
How about placing a call or faxc/all to the restaurant telling them that you will never order anything from them again until they get rid of the gangs!
ReplyDelete(773) 728-6376
What good is a place if they cater to bangers?
Go to YELP and report this restaurant as a place to stay away from because of the gang activity.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/three-harmony-restaurant-chicago
Hit this place where it hurts. The pocket.
Punishing the restaurant doesn't seem like a good solution.
ReplyDeleteSo you get the restaurant run out of business, the Bangers move somewhere else, and there's another empty store front?
Short-sighted...
I've never been to this place, but I have a very strong suspicion that the owners are scared to go to the police for fear of retaliation.
ReplyDeleteThe lady at Three Harmony barely speaks English, so she doesn't realize what's going on. I'm also sure she's intimidated by the gangbangers. It's also very possible that, with the language barrier, calling 911 isn't an option for her.
ReplyDeleteVery sad. A friend of mine saw gang tags in there and pointed them out to one of the workers, who had no idea what they were or what the connotation was.
Going after the restaurant isn't the solution, IMHO. I believe they're being victimized, not collaborators.
We used to frequent Three Harmony at least once a week but that ended a year and a half ago when they refused to deal with the gang infestation plaguing their business. We now patronize Thai on Clark instead. (The food in my opinion is a tad better as well)
ReplyDeleteIt is possible to keep the Thugs out. Alma does it across the street. They have a zero tolerance for it and the thugs know it. We spend our money at the places that reflect our values and create a safe environment.
The day the neighborhood adopts a zero tolerance policy as well is the day we get a little peace in Uptown. It's coming.
This entire corner is a disaster and everyone knows it. Yet, I can see very little if anything being done. The wild west of UpTown. Do whatever the hell you want to.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad that Uptown United doesn't provide needed support and education to this business owner about gangs and how to deal with them. It would be a win-win for everyone.
ReplyDeleteholey moley is right - where is the "chamber" in protecting small businesses?
ReplyDeleteI think the problem all stems from the tall apartment building just south of the strip mall on Magnolia. The masses of people that hang out in front of there at night is amazing. Who manages - or should I say, mismanages - this building?
as someone who watches this day in and day out, i feel the police could care less. there is a cop who frequently walks around yet does nothing. i've called the cops on the guys on the corner and the folks who drink on the sidewalk/smoke whatever in front of my house and not one officer has showed up. not even the police officer who was right around the corner! they could obviously care less, as it is known that chicago has the most corrupt police force. i don't trust the police, but do trust the loaded hand gun i keep in my house.
ReplyDeletei've learned that if you are going to call the police, the best tactic is to say that the perpetrator has a gun and you witnessed them selling drugs. this gives the police probable cause to search the perpetrator.
the more hassle these kids receive via the community and the police, the easier it will be to force them to other locations. if anyone knows the owner of the strip mall, it may be a good idea to call these people.
just because shiller tolerates this activity, doesn't mean everyone else should. including the businesses.
ReplyDeleteEither way, this place is screwed. After a while no one will go there. I don't know about you, but I'm not in the mood to catch a stray bullet while eating lunch or dinner.
Larry, when you call, do you say you're willing to sign a complaint? Cops can't do anything unless they either witness a crime themselves or have someone who will sign as a witness and show up in court.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't recommend lying to the cops. It's called filing a false police report and it can come back to bite you in the butt.
I agree with you in that I believe the best answer to the problems at the two problem strip malls (Wilson/Broadway and Magnolia/Wilson) is to get the owners involved. The tenants, you can be sure, do not enjoy having their customers driven away by the loiterers, panhandlers, and criminals outside their front doors. So many of Uptown's small business owners come from other cultures where they don't work with the police, or they don't have the language skills to do so. What can be done to encourage their cooperation?
Can the strip mall owners be charged with operating a drug/gang property and not taking steps to change it?? Money is the only thing they seem to care about.
I am seriously so sick of people living far from Uptown and making money - lots of money - and then turning a blind eye to the problems that are happening every day on their property. We should NEVER have to ask who owns or manages a certain property. It should be posted for all to see.
Another possible solution -- Uptown Business Partners. Yes, I heard Christie stand up and say that no business can successfully operate where there is drunkenness, crime and loitering. But what has UBP done to change anything? Not a damn thing that I'm aware of! Yes, a street festival and a pub crawl are nice, but UBP seems overly concerned with businesses located in parts of the ward that are already nice. What are they doing to help the mom & pop shops that struggle due to the crime right outside their front doors, or inside their shops, like Three Harmony? If they're doing anything, I'd love to know about it, because I sure haven't heard anything since that "tough on crime" speech, which said all the right things.
Where's the action to back up those words? It's not enough to say we are tough on crime. What are they doing to stop it and help those businesses?
Contact the Uptown Chamber and ask them to put together a group of Asian business people who can call on the owner. The owner probably would feel more comfortable talking with Asian community members.
ReplyDeleteIf you see this activity, do one of the following. (1) Step out and call 911; (2) text someone and have them call 911; (3) if you have a blackberry (or similar device) e-mail the commander.
ReplyDeletepersonally, I wouldn't step out and call. Those guys aren't THAT dumb and they may try to retaliate. Likewise for taking photos.I would try this, though.
Text to Tip
I've done it before and it actually worked. There was a cop on the scene a bit later (guys were gone, but still). Try it, it might be safer and more discreet.
Thanks M.O.T.S. I've added that to my phone for future reference.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I called the alderman's office regarding their approaching the businesses. The woman that answered thought it was the police's responsibility and asked me to call the Addison police station to talk with the community affairs desk...very useful as always.
Sort of sounds like the thing you used to hear at Uptown BBQ at Wilson and Winthrop.
ReplyDeleteDon't tell me: there is a guy and his girlfriend sitting in the front booth collecting wads of cash from all those little boys. As a matter of fact, they were on a deadline to get cash to that guy the day shots were fired on West Wilson and the woman was shot in the drive-by in Clarendon Park last summer.
Same game. Different restaurant.
Just a passing comment, has anyone besides me noticed the huge number of people who post a lot on here, who have "protected profiles"
ReplyDelete"The Blogger Profile you requested cannot be displayed. Many Blogger users have not yet elected to publicly share their Profile."
What are you afraid of folks? Like Larry who claims to have a loaded gun in his place or Moosh who is all about lowering the hammer?
Talk the talk...walk the walk..
^^^^^^
ReplyDeletefunny you should say that 'Brian'
and then have your own profile blocked in the same fashion.
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Regarding the activity at 3-Harmony, I highly disagree with punishing the business by giving bad Yelp reviews and boycotting.
My other half plans on bringing this forum conversation to their attention, and ask why they haven't done something, and suggest solutions. Shutting them down is not the answer.
What do you think will open up in their place?
The 23 District Community Policing office has been asked to reach out to them.
ReplyDelete