A reader writes in: "Now that the Clifton loiterers have been displaced, they simply moved under the tracks on Wilson in front of the future French Market (aka Wilson Broadway Mall). Milk crates and chairs can be seen here all day and night."
Does anyone have any ideas how such loitering can be discouraged? I know this is a legal grey area, and even if cops enforced it, they'd probably be back 10 minutes later.
People do this in Uptown because it is tolerated and, unfortunately, has become part of the culture here. Many times I have gone to work and witnessed people sharing a case of beer at 8 am in front of the Wilson Men's Hotel, or hung out in the Clifton alley. They do this because nobody questions their presence because they are too afraid to confront them. Several months ago, one of these pillars of society decided to hose down the Popeye's while screaming for the manager to call the cops. The group in front of the Men's Hotel laughed and cheered him on.
Anyone have some productive ideas for how we can let these people know that their presence, at least loitering-wise, is not welcome and will not be tolerated?
No. There is nothing you can do about it until election time, and even then it will take a long time to get the 46th safe and clean.
take all the photos you want, write as many stories as you want, and complain all you want. alderman shiller and the mayor screwed us, and until there is truth in politics (ha), you can't do anything about it.
but if you happen to see alderman shiller and accidentally rub her face into the piles of shit and the pools of piss just outside her office door, I'm sure none of us would notice.
Based on the Supreme Court's ruling and Chicago's revised anti-loitering ordinance, the people in that photograph aren't breaking any laws. The ordinance defines loitering as follows:
"remaining in any one place under circumstances that would warrant a reasonable person to believe that the purpose or effect of that behavior is to enable a criminal street gang to establish control over identifiable areas, to intimidate others from entering those areas, or to conceal illegal activities".
Merely sitting on a public sidewalk, is not a crime. And the Supreme Court has already ruled that police officers cannot arrest someone because they MIGHT commit a crime. See Chicago vs Morales.
The High Courts have already established that the “Freedom to loiter for innocent purposes” is part of the liberty protected by the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment.
Someone should tell them to go hang out in front of Shillers office as I am sure she would take good care of them. Its getting close to election time and she needs their vote.
That is ALWAYS one of my underlying points about this area.....SO much 'stuff' happens a stone's throw from the 46th Ward Office, it is mystifying.
Per someone's comment, I don't think we need to "suck it up!" when a sidewalk party cracks open a few beers in the morning.
So....today we've learned about a psychotic dog owner, a disturbed individual who likes to uproot plants, and a legit business owner who has to install a metal cage, to discourage 'gas meter squatting'.
Once again, maybe there's too many flyers plastered on the 46th Ward office window, that they can't see what's going on outside?
"Merely sitting on a public sidewalk, is not a crime."
Actually, blocking the public way is a crime. Just see how illegal it is, and how fast the cops would be called, if 40 or 50 condo owners were to set up lawn chairs, sit on the sidewalk in front of Ald. Shiller's office and pull out newspapers. (Hell, she had her campaign manager armed with a baseball bat when there was an anti-crime rally there a couple years ago. Imagine her reaction to an illegal sit-in.)
Mr. Fitz, caselaw doesn't tell it all: There are certain zones in Uptown where loitering is illegal. The coppers who read this blog can say exactly what the boundaries are, if they feel like it. In those areas, if they tell people to disperse and they return, it's illegal loitering.
If the people in that photo are committing a crime, then so are these people:
*People who stop on the sidewalk to talk to friend; be it in person or on a cell.
*People who stop for long periods of time to look into store windows.
*People who walk their dogs on long leads and force other pedestrians to step off the curb to avoid them.
*People who stop midstream, to catch their breath.
*People who stop to light a cigarette.
*Confused people looking for an address.
Again, there is no crime being committed in that photo. Simply being annoyed with something doesn’t necessarily make it illegal.
If you are trying to tell me that different parts of Uptown have different loitering ordinances, I don't buy it. A city ordinance is a CITY ordinance. Not a suggestion. That means the rules don’t change from one block to the next. Even if they change from cop to cop. If you know what I mean.
Besides, the sidewalks are maintained through the taxpayers’ money. They are public property. Which means everyone should have access to them. If those people were sitting in the middle of the sidewalk, you might have something to complain about. But they are not. They are up against a building. And unless you are planning to climb up the side of that building - they are not in your way.
"If you are trying to tell me that different parts of Uptown have different loitering ordinances, I don't buy it. A city ordinance is a CITY ordinance. Not a suggestion. That means the rules don’t change from one block to the next."
Sorry, you are incorrect, sir! There are zones in Uptown where loitering is prohibited. Disagree with me all you want. It's not MY law. I didn't create the zones. Yet, they exist.
Cops have posted the boundaries of those zones in the comments right here in the past. I imagine there are special no-loitering zones in every police district in the city.
Believe me or "don't buy it." Doesn't much matter to me.
TrumanSquareNabr, here's the bottom line: No laws are being broken by the people in that photo. And dancing around the facts and talking about "different loitering zones" will not change that. And whether or not you accept that, doesn't matter much to me, either.
Seriously, I don't understand the lifestyle. Why do you hang out under loud traintracks? Why do you hang out in front of places, just to hang out? I'll be walking my dog and I'll see kid/teens/grown-ups just posting up on a car thats that aren't theirs. It's such a whack way of life.
There are no such things as secret anti-loitering zones. It is a myth. Thankfully we still live in a country where all laws all public. Nothing in the city's "gang loitering" ordinance gives police permission to create "secret" zones to enforce anti-loitering.
At times there are "hot spots" or targeted areas where the anti-gang 'no loitering' ordinance can be enforced if the suspect is a known gang member. It's more of a gang dispersal effort. These spots are based on criminal activity and assigned from CPD downtown.
The lady in the chair does not appear to be involved in criminal activity. Do I like it? No. Is she involved in "gang designated loitering"? I doubt it. Again, do I like it? No.
Just to clear something up: This is what people are talking about.
MCC 8-4-016(b) The superintendent of police shall by written directive designate areas of the city in which the superintendent has determined that enforcement of this section is necessary because gang loitering has enabled criminal street gangs to establish control over identifiable areas, to intimidate others from entering those areas, or to conceal illegal activities. Prior to making a determination under this subsection, the superintendent shall consult as he or she deems appropriate with persons who are knowledgeable about the effects of gang activity in areas in which the ordinance may be enforced. Such persons may include, but need not be limited to, members of the department of police with special training or experience related to criminal street gangs; other personnel of that department with particular knowledge of gang activities in the proposed designated area; elected and appointed officials of the area; community-based organizations; and participants in the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy who are familiar with the area. The superintendent shall develop and implement procedures for the periodic review and update of designations made under this subsection.
The Wilson Men's Hotel must be quite a hotel. I noticed that in front of that hotel seems to be the most popular "spot to hang." I often see the cops stop by there & talk with the regular crew. It's like there on a first name basis with these fine folks of Wilson.
Why do people avoid the elephant in the room? These are not people who are merely "catching their breath" or "window shopping" or "looking for an address". They are habitual loiterers, most likely alcoholic and/or drug abusers, constant public nusances depending on their level of intoxication at any given time of any given day, most have (extensive) criminal records, etc.
At that particular moment, sure, no crime is being commited, however we all are smart enough to know the truth about those people. It is simply sketchy, suspicious, unneccessary, unsavory, unwelcome and otherwise unfortunate behavior and it SHOULD be addressed.
jimcls260 said... They are habitual loiterers, most likely alcoholic and/or drug abusers, constant public nusances depending on their level of intoxication at any given time of any given day, most have (extensive) criminal records, etc. -------------------------------
Stereotype much? How the hell would you know that?
--Mix together the highest number of social service agencies in Chicago, many that perpetuate hopelessness, support substance and drug abuse, and are paid based on number of clients not results...
--Concentrate subsidized housing with lackadaisical management in a five square block area...
--Make sure the gateways to the community--the El Station, the parks, the streets--are dark, dilapidated and dangerous...
--Discourage bustling, vibrant retail corridors that encourage people to walk, dine and shop...
--Protect the Uptown People's Law Center by providing them with TIF money, lots of it, to move and stay in the neighborhood to continue to defend gang members who blatantly continue their destructive behaviors that infect the community...
That's not stereotyping, it's profiling, and his assessment is probably dead-on for the majority of this particular population at this particular spot. I'm sure there are some exceptions of course.
Two years ago this month, "Uptown Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Christie Hahn put it, businesses can no longer put up with the "everyday harassment" of their patrons that included public drinking, pot smoking, urination, and panhandling."
So what the HELL is the Chamber doing to change this culture? What aactions are they taking to help the businesses - and their customers - along Wilson, like Viet Bowl, who had to install a Rube Goldberg like device to keep people from sitting in front of their building). Like Curves, which went out of business because people were afraid to go there during the day. Like Three Harmony, which has been turned into a gang hangout.
No one goes there because it's not safe and certainly not pleasant. It's the opposite of vibrant retail.
The Clifton Task Force did its job and managed to get Cornerstone to live up to its written contract to keep its people off Clifton. So they moved to Wilson.
Where is the Chamber now? What are they doing to ensure that businesses on that strip can avoid "everyday harassment"? Could it be that slumlord Jay Bomberg, who owns the Wilson Mens Club and the Bachelor Hotel, is one of the directors of the Chamber and the head of the Safety Committee?
Those were strong and admirable words that Paul from Tattoo Factory wrote, and Christie Hahn spoke, at that public meeting on safety.
But where's the beef? Where's the follow-through? What is the Chamber doing to help those businesses' customers feel safe and help those business owners stay in business?
Uptown Chamber of Commerce? What a knock up job they are doing. What do we get 1-2 new businesses in UpTown a year? These people should be ashamed of themselves. As I see it they do more to support the drug pushers and sock dealers than the average business. Look at the corner of Magnolia and Wilson! This could be a vibrant area. Every other neighborhood in Chicago sees a flow of new shops and change overs every year except for UpTown. All we see is empty storefronts.
Jay Bomberg, "slumlord?" Not the guy I'm familiar with - the one who won a Chicago Realtors' Assn. "Good Neighbor" Award a few years ago for his work with the former Jane Addams center with SRO apartments on upper level.
Is he some sort of Jekyll-Hyde character who on the one hand tries to provide decent housing and services to the clientele while neglecting and abusing other tenants and clients?
Actually, PB, tatoo parlors lost their "downscale" image years ago. I'm not a big fan of the practice myself (scared of needles!), but plenty of today's teens and young adults sport "body art" and they're paying good money for it.
Here's the real answer: would this activity look out of place in the Loop, Gold Coast, Lincoln Park ? Would the Mayor tolerate these folks squatting on his sidewalk outside his high-rise or peeing in his alley? Absolutely not! The CPD would be all over them for public nuisance or impeding the public way.
But it’s a whole different story up here in the 46th and 48th wards. Even Tom Tunney in the 44th, about as lefty as Helen, wouldn’t put up with this.
The PC crowd on here will get their panties in a twist, as usual. But we hold these truths to be self-evident :crime breeds crime, poverty breeds poverty and when it's all enabled by an aging hippy alderwank, is anybody really surprised?
Yes, I was profiling in my comment, and i wholeheartedly beleive profiling is a necessity! I am also one of the "kooks" who thinks airport security should stop strip searching grandmothers in wheel chairs and focus more on the middle eastern travelers.
We really need to be able to admit to ourselves and eachother what is really going on both in our comminuty and in our world. Pulling the "politically correct" blanket over your head does nothing but make you (or your city, or your country) weak and vulnerable in a time when people are looking to exploit those weaknesses whether it be by shooting eachother at Broadway and Wilson, pissing on the sidewalk, loitering, hassling people on the street for money, or terrorizing our country. In this case (loitering) the problem is really not that extreme however the big picture is that this is just the tip of the iceberg and its time people wake up and realize the world we live in.
I am sorry to tell you Uptonians but you DO live in the ghetto, be it an expensive and diverse ghetto. It is still a ghetto none the less. If you have to deal with people drinking and pissing in your neighborhood...you live in the ghetto.
If you want to change your living conditions YOU have to step up to the plate and stop calling 911 anonymously when you see someone pissing or dirnking. Stay on scene and SIGN COMPLAINTS because they can spot a squad car a block away and drop the beer and zip their pants. So when police arrive there is no crime being committed and NO COMPLAINTANT on scene.
They continue to drink and pee because they keep on getting away with it. If the police do not see the crime committed they cannot sign the complaints for this type of crime. The only thing that we can do is ask whose beer that is, and when they say "It's not mine" we can take the beer and pour it out in front of them to get a little Karma for lying to the police.
We know that they are drinking and peeing but we cannot sign the complaints if we did not see the criminal activity. So if you want Uptown to change take control of your neighborhood and SIGN COMPLAINTS in order to send a message to the ghetto that this WILL NOT BE TOLLERATED IN UPTOWN!
Keep in mind that this is not a high prioity crime and with the current police shortage and the recent violence in uptown it may take a while to get there because we routinely have jobs stacked for us. But I can tell you that if their is a named complaintant who is on scene I/WE will defenantly prioritize a call with a complaintant as opposed to an anonymous call. THE POLICE CANNOT TAKE BACK YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, ONLY YOU CAN!
Does anyone have any ideas how such loitering can be discouraged? I know this is a legal grey area, and even if cops enforced it, they'd probably be back 10 minutes later.
ReplyDeletePeople do this in Uptown because it is tolerated and, unfortunately, has become part of the culture here. Many times I have gone to work and witnessed people sharing a case of beer at 8 am in front of the Wilson Men's Hotel, or hung out in the Clifton alley. They do this because nobody questions their presence because they are too afraid to confront them. Several months ago, one of these pillars of society decided to hose down the Popeye's while screaming for the manager to call the cops. The group in front of the Men's Hotel laughed and cheered him on.
Anyone have some productive ideas for how we can let these people know that their presence, at least loitering-wise, is not welcome and will not be tolerated?
No. There is nothing you can do about it until election time, and even then it will take a long time to get the 46th safe and clean.
ReplyDeletetake all the photos you want, write as many stories as you want, and complain all you want. alderman shiller and the mayor screwed us, and until there is truth in politics (ha), you can't do anything about it.
but if you happen to see alderman shiller and accidentally rub her face into the piles of shit and the pools of piss just outside her office door, I'm sure none of us would notice.
Based on the Supreme Court's ruling and Chicago's revised anti-loitering ordinance, the people in that photograph aren't breaking any laws. The ordinance defines loitering as follows:
ReplyDelete"remaining in any one place under circumstances that would warrant a reasonable person to believe that the purpose or effect of that behavior is to enable a criminal street gang to establish control over identifiable areas, to intimidate others from entering those areas, or to conceal illegal activities".
Merely sitting on a public sidewalk, is not a crime. And the Supreme Court has already ruled that police officers cannot arrest someone because they MIGHT commit a crime. See Chicago vs Morales.
The High Courts have already established that the “Freedom to loiter for innocent purposes” is part of the liberty protected by the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment.
So suck it up. :-)
Someone should tell them to go hang out in front of Shillers office as I am sure she would take good care of them. Its getting close to election time and she needs their vote.
ReplyDeletethe question is what is there incentive to do anything else?
ReplyDeleteThat is ALWAYS one of my underlying points about this area.....SO much 'stuff' happens a stone's throw from the 46th Ward Office, it is mystifying.
ReplyDeletePer someone's comment, I don't think we need to "suck it up!" when a sidewalk party cracks open a few beers in the morning.
So....today we've learned about a psychotic dog owner, a disturbed individual who likes to uproot plants, and a legit business owner who has to install a metal cage, to discourage 'gas meter squatting'.
Once again, maybe there's too many flyers plastered on the 46th Ward office window, that they can't see what's going on outside?
"Merely sitting on a public sidewalk, is not a crime."
ReplyDeleteActually, blocking the public way is a crime. Just see how illegal it is, and how fast the cops would be called, if 40 or 50 condo owners were to set up lawn chairs, sit on the sidewalk in front of Ald. Shiller's office and pull out newspapers. (Hell, she had her campaign manager armed with a baseball bat when there was an anti-crime rally there a couple years ago. Imagine her reaction to an illegal sit-in.)
Mr. Fitz, caselaw doesn't tell it all: There are certain zones in Uptown where loitering is illegal. The coppers who read this blog can say exactly what the boundaries are, if they feel like it. In those areas, if they tell people to disperse and they return, it's illegal loitering.
"Actually, blocking the public way is a crime"
ReplyDeleteIf the people in that photo are committing a crime, then so are these people:
*People who stop on the sidewalk to talk to friend; be it in person or on a cell.
*People who stop for long periods of time to look into store windows.
*People who walk their dogs on long leads and force other pedestrians to step off the curb to avoid them.
*People who stop midstream, to catch their breath.
*People who stop to light a cigarette.
*Confused people looking for an address.
Again, there is no crime being committed in that photo. Simply being annoyed with something doesn’t necessarily make it illegal.
If you are trying to tell me that different parts of Uptown have different loitering ordinances, I don't buy it. A city ordinance is a CITY ordinance. Not a suggestion. That means the rules don’t change from one block to the next. Even if they change from cop to cop. If you know what I mean.
Besides, the sidewalks are maintained through the taxpayers’ money. They are public property. Which means everyone should have access to them. If those people were sitting in the middle of the sidewalk, you might have something to complain about. But they are not. They are up against a building. And unless you are planning to climb up the side of that building - they are not in your way.
"If you are trying to tell me that different parts of Uptown have different loitering ordinances, I don't buy it. A city ordinance is a CITY ordinance. Not a suggestion. That means the rules don’t change from one block to the next."
ReplyDeleteSorry, you are incorrect, sir! There are zones in Uptown where loitering is prohibited. Disagree with me all you want. It's not MY law. I didn't create the zones. Yet, they exist.
Cops have posted the boundaries of those zones in the comments right here in the past. I imagine there are special no-loitering zones in every police district in the city.
Believe me or "don't buy it." Doesn't much matter to me.
TrumanSquareNabr, here's the bottom line: No laws are being broken by the people in that photo. And dancing around the facts and talking about "different loitering zones" will not change that. And whether or not you accept that, doesn't matter much to me, either.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I don't understand the lifestyle. Why do you hang out under loud traintracks? Why do you hang out in front of places, just to hang out? I'll be walking my dog and I'll see kid/teens/grown-ups just posting up on a car thats that aren't theirs. It's such a whack way of life.
ReplyDeleteThere are no such things as secret anti-loitering zones. It is a myth. Thankfully we still live in a country where all laws all public. Nothing in the city's "gang loitering" ordinance gives police permission to create "secret" zones to enforce anti-loitering.
ReplyDeleteAt times there are "hot spots" or targeted areas where the anti-gang 'no loitering' ordinance can be enforced if the suspect is a known gang member. It's more of a gang dispersal effort. These spots are based on criminal activity and assigned from CPD downtown.
ReplyDeleteThe lady in the chair does not appear to be involved in criminal activity. Do I like it? No. Is she involved in "gang designated loitering"? I doubt it. Again, do I like it? No.
I like the new guy Fitz!!
ReplyDeleteJust to clear something up:
This is what people are talking about.
MCC 8-4-016(b)
The superintendent of police shall by written directive designate areas of the city in which the superintendent has determined that enforcement of this section is necessary because gang loitering has enabled criminal street gangs to establish control over identifiable areas, to intimidate others from entering those areas, or to conceal illegal activities. Prior to making a determination under this subsection, the superintendent shall consult as he or she deems appropriate with persons who are knowledgeable about the effects of gang activity in areas in which the ordinance may be enforced. Such persons may include, but need not be limited to, members of the department of police with special training or experience related to criminal street gangs; other personnel of that department with particular knowledge of gang activities in the proposed designated area; elected and appointed officials of the area; community-based organizations; and participants in the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy who are familiar with the area. The superintendent shall develop and implement procedures for the periodic review and update of designations made under this subsection.
The Wilson Men's Hotel must be quite a hotel. I noticed that in front of that hotel seems to be the most popular "spot to hang." I often see the cops stop by there & talk with the regular crew. It's like there on a first name basis with these fine folks of Wilson.
ReplyDeleteWhy do people avoid the elephant in the room? These are not people who are merely "catching their breath" or "window shopping" or "looking for an address". They are habitual loiterers, most likely alcoholic and/or drug abusers, constant public nusances depending on their level of intoxication at any given time of any given day, most have (extensive) criminal records, etc.
ReplyDeleteAt that particular moment, sure, no crime is being commited, however we all are smart enough to know the truth about those people. It is simply sketchy, suspicious, unneccessary, unsavory, unwelcome and otherwise unfortunate behavior and it SHOULD be addressed.
jimcls260 said...
ReplyDeleteThey are habitual loiterers, most likely alcoholic and/or drug abusers, constant public nusances depending on their level of intoxication at any given time of any given day, most have (extensive) criminal records, etc.
-------------------------------
Stereotype much? How the hell would you know that?
Formula for hopelessness:
ReplyDelete--Mix together the highest number of social service agencies in Chicago, many that perpetuate hopelessness, support substance and drug abuse, and are paid based on number of clients not results...
--Concentrate subsidized housing with lackadaisical management in a five square block area...
--Make sure the gateways to the community--the El Station, the parks, the streets--are dark, dilapidated and dangerous...
--Discourage bustling, vibrant retail corridors that encourage people to walk, dine and shop...
--Protect the Uptown People's Law Center by providing them with TIF money, lots of it, to move and stay in the neighborhood to continue to defend gang members who blatantly continue their destructive behaviors that infect the community...
--And you have Uptown
That's not stereotyping, it's profiling, and his assessment is probably dead-on for the majority of this particular population at this particular spot. I'm sure there are some exceptions of course.
ReplyDeleteTwo years ago this month, "Uptown Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Christie Hahn put it, businesses can no longer put up with the "everyday harassment" of their patrons that included public drinking, pot smoking, urination, and panhandling."
ReplyDeleteSo what the HELL is the Chamber doing to change this culture? What aactions are they taking to help the businesses - and their customers - along Wilson, like Viet Bowl, who had to install a Rube Goldberg like device to keep people from sitting in front of their building). Like Curves, which went out of business because people were afraid to go there during the day. Like Three Harmony, which has been turned into a gang hangout.
No one goes there because it's not safe and certainly not pleasant. It's the opposite of vibrant retail.
The Clifton Task Force did its job and managed to get Cornerstone to live up to its written contract to keep its people off Clifton. So they moved to Wilson.
Where is the Chamber now? What are they doing to ensure that businesses on that strip can avoid "everyday harassment"? Could it be that slumlord Jay Bomberg, who owns the Wilson Mens Club and the Bachelor Hotel, is one of the directors of the Chamber and the head of the Safety Committee?
Those were strong and admirable words that Paul from Tattoo Factory wrote, and Christie Hahn spoke, at that public meeting on safety.
But where's the beef? Where's the follow-through? What is the Chamber doing to help those businesses' customers feel safe and help those business owners stay in business?
I love how the Uptown Chamber has a tattoo parlor owner and a slumlord as it's business leaders.
ReplyDeleteUptown Chamber of Commerce? What a knock up job they are doing. What do we get 1-2 new businesses in UpTown a year? These people should be ashamed of themselves. As I see it they do more to support the drug pushers and sock dealers than the average business. Look at the corner of Magnolia and Wilson! This could be a vibrant area. Every other neighborhood in Chicago sees a flow of new shops and change overs every year except for UpTown. All we see is empty storefronts.
ReplyDeleteJay Bomberg, "slumlord?" Not the guy I'm familiar with - the one who won a Chicago Realtors' Assn. "Good Neighbor" Award a few years ago for his work with the former Jane Addams center with SRO apartments on upper level.
ReplyDeleteIs he some sort of Jekyll-Hyde character who on the one hand tries to provide decent housing and services to the clientele while neglecting and abusing other tenants and clients?
I would love to see Christie Hahn defend her first two years as director of the Uptown Chamber of Commerce.
ReplyDeleteActually, PB, tatoo parlors lost their "downscale" image years ago. I'm not a big fan of the practice myself (scared of needles!), but plenty of today's teens and young adults sport "body art" and they're paying good money for it.
ReplyDeleteHere's the real answer: would this activity look out of place in the Loop, Gold Coast, Lincoln Park ? Would the Mayor tolerate these folks squatting on his sidewalk outside his high-rise or peeing in his alley? Absolutely not! The CPD would be all over them for public nuisance or impeding the public way.
ReplyDeleteBut it’s a whole different story up here in the 46th and 48th wards. Even Tom Tunney in the 44th, about as lefty as Helen, wouldn’t put up with this.
The PC crowd on here will get their panties in a twist, as usual. But we hold these truths to be self-evident :crime breeds crime, poverty breeds poverty and when it's all enabled by an aging hippy alderwank, is anybody really surprised?
Sorry local lassie I meant to say slumlord pretending to be a humanitarian. My mistake.
ReplyDeleteYes, I was profiling in my comment, and i wholeheartedly beleive profiling is a necessity! I am also one of the "kooks" who thinks airport security should stop strip searching grandmothers in wheel chairs and focus more on the middle eastern travelers.
ReplyDeleteWe really need to be able to admit to ourselves and eachother what is really going on both in our comminuty and in our world. Pulling the "politically correct" blanket over your head does nothing but make you (or your city, or your country) weak and vulnerable in a time when people are looking to exploit those weaknesses whether it be by shooting eachother at Broadway and Wilson, pissing on the sidewalk, loitering, hassling people on the street for money, or terrorizing our country. In this case (loitering) the problem is really not that extreme however the big picture is that this is just the tip of the iceberg and its time people wake up and realize the world we live in.
I am sorry to tell you Uptonians but you DO live in the ghetto, be it an expensive and diverse ghetto. It is still a ghetto none the less. If you have to deal with people drinking and pissing in your neighborhood...you live in the ghetto.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to change your living conditions YOU have to step up to the plate and stop calling 911 anonymously when you see someone pissing or dirnking. Stay on scene and SIGN COMPLAINTS because they can spot a squad car a block away and drop the beer and zip their pants. So when police arrive there is no crime being committed and NO COMPLAINTANT on scene.
They continue to drink and pee because they keep on getting away with it. If the police do not see the crime committed they cannot sign the complaints for this type of crime. The only thing that we can do is ask whose beer that is, and when they say "It's not mine" we can take the beer and pour it out in front of them to get a little Karma for lying to the police.
We know that they are drinking and peeing but we cannot sign the complaints if we did not see the criminal activity. So if you want Uptown to change take control of your neighborhood and SIGN COMPLAINTS in order to send a message to the ghetto that this WILL NOT BE TOLLERATED IN UPTOWN!
Keep in mind that this is not a high prioity crime and with the current police shortage and the recent violence in uptown it may take a while to get there because we routinely have jobs stacked for us. But I can tell you that if their is a named complaintant who is on scene I/WE will defenantly prioritize a call with a complaintant as opposed to an anonymous call.
THE POLICE CANNOT TAKE BACK YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, ONLY YOU CAN!