Update from an eyewitness:
"I heard the shots, heard tires squealing and saw the same car speeding down Beacon toward Wilson. I thought the shots were fired from Beacon into the mall, but maybe the shots were fired on Magnolia or Malden and the car made its getaway up Beacon. At the time, there were still kids walking up Beacon to Stockton School. I also saw a Mom and child running into the Uptown Hull House to get out of the way. Sadly, I also saw another mother and child pause and then just keep walking to school as if nothing happened. I called 911 and two police cars responded in about 2 minutes."
I will renew my earlier request: Can anyone shed some light on how the aldermanic candidates are reacting to the recent uptick in violence? They are shooting near a school during school hours for pete's sake!!! How are these candidates reacting??? Whomever is getting out there and showing that they actually have a desire to put an end to this has my vote hands down.
ReplyDeleteWhat can a candidate say or do for you to earn their vote? All they are going to say is we're going to fight it and offer their proposals.
ReplyDeleteI have Emailed 5 of the candidates over 1 month ago and never received any responce on what they would do to solve the gang and violence problems that occure all the time here in Uptown. Maybe that gives you the answer of how much they really care outside of their lip service and little action behind it. Makes it hard to decide who I would vote for.
ReplyDeleteI heard the shots at Sunnyside and Dover. It sounded like 2 fires and 3 answering. But they sounded like they were from the same gun. I urge everyone to call Alderman Schulter's office at 773-348-8400 and Schiller's office at 773-878-4646 to express outrage! No, maybe they won't do anything, but let's jam their phone lines and disrupt their lives like our life was disrupted today. While you're there call the Chicago Board of Education 773-553-1000, this happened while children were going to school and within feet of Stockton. Next, email/call the alderman candidates. Ask to see their response to today's violence on their websites! Stop lamenting and get busy!
ReplyDeleteI heard about 6 shots and I heard the car getting away. It sounded like the shots were from Beacon and Sunnyside. Can anyone update about injuries/damage and a more precise location?
ReplyDeleteIt's really sad that people walking their kids to school, going to work, and walking their dogs should have to be concerned for their safety at 9am.
even when they do say something about it, it's all such non-specific BS... "we're going to work closer with law enforecement", "we're going to go to CAPS meetings", etc.
ReplyDeletecappleman doesn't seem hard nosed enough (sorry but positive loitering isn't gonna do sh*t), phelan seems like all she really cares about is how and where she can control the flow of tax dollars... don't know too much about the others.
i know one other used to be on some gang task force so maybe i need to look more closely at him. obviously our #1 issue in this ward is violence. everything else comes secondary in my opinion...
Wiseguy and crowdedstr, I wonder if you bothered to look where each of the candidates stand on crime by looking at their websites? Seems to me that would be a good place to start.
ReplyDeleteDid you bother to go to any of the forums? That would have been a great place to ask questions. If you expect them to engage you on UU, think again.
The specific number for the Stockton School person who handles incidents is 773-534-9916 and her name is Abby Meyers. At 11:30am Schulter's office had not yet heard about the shooting. Shiller's office had, but I wouldn't expect a response. They can't respond if you do not call! If you do not get a response to your email, call! If you do not get a response to your call, go there! I'm heading to Cappleman's office now.
ReplyDeleteWhat actions have worked in other neighborhood's that had increasing Gangs violence?
ReplyDeleteWe need to work together and ask the Police the local schools what specific plans are in place. How are they reacting to the increase violence? There has to be a way to reverse the gang violence new to our area.
Twenty years ago I lived on Dover by Montrose. You never went out at night because of the gangs.
Then the area changed when the buildings were cleaned up. The past 10 years this area was safe and you rarely heard about shots fired. What brought them back????
Uptown Update is new to me. The shots fired every night is getting worst. It's going to take actions from everyone who lives here along with the community leaders to help the police. We need to learn from the people that have already stepped up with programs designed to change the tide. I've heard of positive loitering and calling 911 anytime you see gang members in your neighborhood.
Now I know that more is being ask of me and the community. If anyone knows of any meetings that we could attend that offer our services and support. So far all I'm aware of is CAPS.
There must be some plan in place by are local leaders,the Police.We need to do whatever it take within the law to support the effort to stop trend of Shots Fired outside our homes.
Get on the home to the local leaders,Police lets find out what the plan is and how we can help.
Be Safe- Be Smart. Call 911
Fortunately it is Report Card Pick-Up so Stockton did not have classes for students today. Parent/teacher conferences are scheduled from 12:00 to 3:00 and 4:00 to 6:15.
ReplyDeleteThere were about 7 police cars at 4301 Kenmore in front of the 6 unit CHA building shortly after this shooting.
ReplyDeleteI do not know what connection that has to the Sunnyside shooting.
i dunno...seems like a job for the cops to me
ReplyDeleteThanks, K on K. I was going to post the same thing about the cops present on Kenmore. Is that building something we should be paying closer attention to?
ReplyDeleteProject Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is being used by more then 40 major cities throughout the United States. PSN's meeting strategy in its Chicago neighborhoods between 2003 and 2005 led to a 37 percent reduction in homicides. This information is from a Aug 17 Tribune aricle.
ReplyDeleteIs PSN meetings strategy being applied to the Uptown area? What other action plans are in place that had simular results?
Can anyone share what being done to stop the gang violence? All I see is that we know how to report it.
The Chicago Police Dept has been wonderful with thier respond time once the shots are reported. I'm looking for what being done to stop the shot's being fired before it get worse.
Looking for our elected leaders to respond with any plan of action that decrease the Shots Fired daily reports.
I would enjoy reading uptown updates that report new improvments being completed or another dog park, Kids playgroud is breaking ground in Sheridan Park. Or Free parking after 5pm to help the area business's bring in new reveune.
Fredric, we DO post on the good stuff, but lately there's been a lot of bad stuff, too.
ReplyDelete- Redesigns of the Buttercup Playlot, driven the community volunteers and Ald. Smith's office.
- Musical theatre at Graeme Stewart tomorrow and Friday.
- New restaurants opening.
Hopefully when the big obstruction to progress vacates her office in May, there'll be a whole lot more positive updates to post in the coming years.
Just to emphasize---the kids were not in school today so they were not in harms way. It also happened at a time when there were a lot of witnesses so the police have a lot of information to work off of.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the flow of information to the police department if you have any. In times past, there has been crime information posted on UU that was never sent to the police. If you've got car information, description or license plates please pass along.
Oh, the children were not at school today - dodged a bullet on that one! I live on Dover and looked out the window and there were children and parents walking down Dover at the time. I looked out my other window and low and behold there were children walking on Sunnyside and Beacon.
ReplyDeleteStock, you are quite right about getting information to where it is needed.
To the person who took the picture, RIGHT ON!
That there were no students at school during this incident matters not. Do you think the gun-toting gangbangers knew that today was report card pick-up day? Of course not! The point is, this is just the latest egregious display of murderous thugs at work in our ward.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna throw out that Michael Carroll might be the aldermanic candidate with the best ideas of how to manage crime. He's a Chicago cop in a rough neighborhood and understands the dynamics of crime and gangs. He also has connections in the CPD that might help in getting some attention to the problems in our 'hood.
Arguing that michael Carroll is the best choice cause he is a cop so he can solve the crime issue is ridiculous. First off, he lives here but he doesn't work here. So he doesn't know the people who are the issue here in our neighborhood. He also knows his cops buddies who are already supposed to be protecting us so he can continue to let them slide if they aren't working their butts off. We need someone who is connected to the community as a private citizen who can work with the police but knows the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteAnd anyways, Carroll claimed at his candidate forum that it isn't that bad here cause he is in high crime area. I don't want an alderman who says I'm whinning cause I don't live in englewood.
Mooshie got outed for leaving a comment about "Michael Carroll is the dreamiest candidate" a couple days ago, so now this brand new user ID "L Train" comes on talking about the virtues of Michael Carroll.
ReplyDeleteCould be a coincidence.
But I'm guessing not.
One thing about the Mooshter, subtle she is not.
One thing to note about Chicago:
If the south and west sides were divided out and made their own separate cities, they would be the #1 and #2 most violent cities in America.
I agree with Jane.
I don't want an alderman who tells me that where I'm living is "safe" in relationship to those parts of the city.
I want an alderman who is as horrified as I am that we've had four or five murders in my neighborhood this year.
More than that. I want an alderman who has a plan in place to do something about it.
I live on Beacon and was moving my car for street cleaning when this incident happened. I didn't realize it at the time, but I turned down Beacon following the getaway car in question right before the shooting. I remember thinking that the car was driving awfully fast and could be occupied by some gang members. If I had only known at the time I would have written down the license plate.
ReplyDeleteMs Jones brings up a great proactive step we could take. Why not have a small notebook in the car when driving through uptown and write-down plates of suspicious vehicles or descriptions of people that you actually witness comitting crimes.
ReplyDeleteI mean a bit big brother ish I know, but if you read on UU that the car you were following was (potentially) involved in a serious crime or a guy fitting the description was wanted for something, that information would be useful.
If you jot a note and don't do anything with it, so be it and lets not all go crazy here playing Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, but this is an example from a citizen with a good idea.
Just think if three witnesses all reported a plate and low and behold it comes back to an address with a LONG history of calls for police service, etc..
Granted our authorities including police dont always have the directive, will, or resources to follow-up, but that is an issue for another post.
I live across the street from the school on Beacon and am often home when school dismisses and notice that some of the parents and/or family that pick up the children after school looks like they themselves can be gangbangers.
ReplyDeleteI'm no child psychologist, but some of the stuff that I hear the kids say when the windows are open and they get out of school leaves me with the impression that there must be a decent amount of violent talk or criminal activity around the household.
I agree with the Creepy....he is no child psychologist. I am kinda creeped out a dude named creepy lives across the street from a school...harharhar
ReplyDeleteAs for WISEGUY....if you would like a response from the candidates, or anyone for that matter, try not "signing" as "catfishfoot" or whatever that self-imposed nickname was. But your the wise one so go do whatever it is you do.
And don't send me any more of your crackpot emails.......thank you! (more laughs)
To the rest of the commenters I am VERY proud of y'all for not mentioning Alderman Shiller as the abstact culprit....my how you are all growing and healing....so nice.
With all of the budget gyrations and motion in the CPD the next mayor may have the biggest impact on how crime gets addressed in the next 4 years. Its not like the next Alderman is going to be out there "cuffing and stuffing" people.
Jeffrey, I don't need to repeat Shiller is the abstract culprit because it's already a given. I'm moving on.
ReplyDeletehahah Jeff, I hear you. I also do not need any more emails from Catfishface1.
ReplyDeleteTwenty years ago I lived on Dover by Montrose. You never went out at night because of the gangs.
ReplyDeleteThen the area changed when the buildings were cleaned up. The past 10 years this area was safe and you rarely heard about shots fired. What brought them back????
Helen Shiller, apparently.
:::rolling eyes:::
Not really. Here's a good article to read.
Jeffery, I'm actually not that Creepy in person, I'm a very decent guy in person.
ReplyDeleteThe handle "Creepy Blog Guy" is something of a persona I use for the blogs.... a blogsona if you will.
I actually decided to change it to that after I started reading this blog and was inspired to become just another "Creepy Blog Guy" who posts on this web page. I need to change my picture to me looking out the window with a police scanner, binoculars, my laptop signed into Uptown Update.
Hey, kids, I'm not a new user... been living in BP for almost 10 years and posting on UU regularly.
ReplyDeleteTo Jane wielding the daggers, Carroll said at his forum that this neighborhood is plagued with crime, that it is a huge problem, and that he intends to get something done about it. He never said it isn't that bad here!! To the contrary... he said that it is very bad here.
BTW, I'm not necessarily a Carroll supporter. I attended most of the candidates forums and am undecided as to who will be the best.
Responses at last!! Schulter, Stockton School, and one alderman candidate, Molly Phelan, responded to my calls and emails about the shooting. Phelan actually left a voidemail with her cell #! Wow, as soon as I'm out of shock, I'll call her back.
ReplyDeleteThank you to everyone who made calls - I understand quite a few calls were made. It takes courage to call and leave your name and number.
Here's a brief: Schulter-Stepped up patrols, more to come in his newsletter, Stockton- Will look into teaching children what to do when violence occurs while walking to/from school.