A reader sends in the following info:"I witnessed what appeared to be a drug deal on the 900 block of West Cullom at 5:45 PM on my way to World Gym. My partner noticed this same thing last week and I've heard the same exact story from someone else in our building.
There is a black male on a bike and he whistles to signal another black male driving an SUV with a white female in the passenger seat. The male on his bike gets into the SUV for about 3-4 minutes and then gets out. The SUV tore out until it hit Broadway and then he peeled out at the intersection cutting off cars in both directions to turn southbound on Broadway (which does not have stop signs). Unfortunately he looked right at me while I was on the phone. But I did get a partial plate number (first 5 digits) and a description of him and the female and called it back into the police. Then I watched the guy on his bike pass me going slowly northbound on the sidewalk up Broadway. I got good descriptions of all three of them and their vehicle so hopefully something can get be done with them soon.
Let everyone know that this appears to be happening pretty frequently on our street so it's possible that this is either on the increase or their locations are changing because they could be under watch in their old locations. I refuse to let these thugs do this on my street. While I don't know it was a drug deal, from the talk I've heard at 2 different CAPS meetings recently this sounds like it fits. If you see it call 911 ASAP so next time they catch these punks."
Whistling guys on bikes is a common sight on the Malden between Montrose and Wilson. That is the M.O. for dealing. I haven't seen it on Malden for a few days, and now we know where they are.
ReplyDeleteBluestreak, not to worry, there was dealing happening today at Sunnyside/Malden. Around 6:30p I saw two of the local punks counting money they had just made dealing (wads of cash). One of them is around all the time (usually with a red cap). 16 y.o. or just turned 17, 5'7-8 165 lbs, dark skin with short braids.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, it is absolutely drug dealing on Cullom with the whistles and SUV. Call every time you see it happening. I am sure the Commander and the TAC unit would appreciate the intel (they do respond to e-mails).
What email shillsgang? I've never ever recieved a response @ the 23rd email for cmdr. boehmer.
ReplyDeleteHow about a picture of the banger?
ReplyDeleteCant think of a better way to show them that they are being watched and to move along than a picture of themselves blasted through the ward (including the cops).
Here it is: kathleen.boehmer@chicagopolice.org
ReplyDeleteShe is very responsive.
I am always amazed when i see these guys counting large wads of cash in the open, they are flaunting it and so excited.
ReplyDeleteIt makes you mad.
I call that it in when I see it.
Yeah good job calling in the drug dealing on your street. If you put alot of pressure on them and always call then they will move somewhere else. Which is atleast a victory for your street.
Im sure these young punks are probably mugged by other people sometimes. So stupid to flaunt that much cash in public.
It really is a growing problem that happens on alot of our Uptown streets. I see it at least 2 to 3 times a week as I drive by many of the streets here. If we all can see it and I as well as you make many calls to report it, you would think the CPD could place a few undercover cops around these hot spots that is always being reported and start making some busts on these dealers and the ones who buy it. I cannot believe they don`t have a few undercover teams that specialize in neighborhood drug and gang activity.
ReplyDeleteThe one time I saw dealers on Racine and Lawrence there was a cop at the triangle intersection. I walked up to him and told him the people he could see right behind him were dealing. He turned his car around got up to them, didn't even get out of his car, told them to "beat it" over the loudspeaker, then went back to the triangle to wait for more moving violations. So what's the point of telling the cops if they're not going to do anything about it?
ReplyDeleteCarlos, you didn't say what the cop at the triangle was involved in at the time.
ReplyDeletePart of the problem is that the cops in the 23rd District don't have a booking station at the current station. To make an arrest and go through booking, they have to take the perps to Belmont and Western, and that takes a car off the street for two to two and a half hours.
The department is around 2,000 cops short, if you believe what they themselves say. (Another lovely byproduct of the TIF program so beloved by Helen "Fish Farm" Shiller and Richard "Parking Meters" Daley, which siphons away property tax money that has traditionally gone to the police department.)
So what do you do if you're a cop or commander? Take cops off the street to process the arrests of blatant drug dealers, or leave them because there's potentially something bigger going down? It's a delicate balancing act and one I'd hate to have to be a decision maker in.
Incidentally, one of the many advantages of the new police station being built on Addison is that it will have a booking station and make it easier and quicker to process arrestees, thereby getting the cops back on the streets faster.
TrumanSquareNabr > thanks for sharing that information. I had no idea about how the whole booking process was done. I just assumed it was completed on Addison.. do you know when that opens by chance?
ReplyDeleteDon't know, SuperHero. They're working on it, but no clue as to the completion date.
ReplyDeleteAnd for everyone who has criticisms of the CPD and why they do or don't do the certain things that you think they should be doing... go to a CAPS meeting and ask questions instead of complaining on a blog. Maybe some do, but I'll guess most don't. I'm not saying they are perfect by any stretch, but maybe you should walk a mile in their shoes before monday-morning-qb'ing the police all the time. jmho.
ReplyDeleteTrumansquarenbr, I did say what the cop was doing. He was giving moving violations (traffic tickets) He was probably rying to please his captain so he wouldn't get shitty hours when the next shift is written up.
ReplyDeleteRay, my criticism wasn't of the entire CPD, but you have to admit that it is very discouraging to walk up to a cop, risk being seen by gangbangers dealing drugs/guns, and then the cop simply tells them to move away, and goes back to his corner to give traffic tickets. Why would I go to through the extra trouble of going to a CAPS meeting, telling the commander who I am, show my face, tell him his cop didn't do anything, I did my job and called the cops. Going to a CAPS meeting is not going to stop the fucktards from selling drugs, but that cop had his chance and didn't do anything about it.
Carlos, the police cannot go up to a group of gangbangers and arrest them. It's not allowed by law. They can arrest someone for breaking the law or they can follow up on a complaint filed by someone for probably cause.
ReplyDeleteThey can arrest someone for drinking, but remember we have drinkers on the streets with hundres of arrests and it's done nothing except take a cop off the stree for a couple of hours while he takes the person to the station and processes all the paperwork so that this guy can get back out on the streets almost immediately.
Believe me, the cops are as frustrated as we are.
Unfortunately, the perps are pretty sophisticated. Usually the one holding the money is not holding the drugs. They take the money and tell the buyer to pick it up up the street. Someone nearby, could be someone with a cell phone relays the buyer has paid up. Cops can't just arrest a drug dealer holding money without probable cause.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, it would be nice to know if there is a task force working on this issue. That's when the big busts are made because the cops have someone in undercover making buys. Next time your at a CAPS meeting offer to make your home available for survielence.
Also, not only do these kids whistle, you may here them shouting 5-O as in "hawaii 5-O" to their buddy's when they see cops nearby.
I'd like to see camera servilance at street level taking the license plate numbers of the buyers. Bust 'em Danno and take their cars away too.