Friday, July 12, 2013

Positive Loitering Resumes This Evening, 7pm-8pm

from the Uptown Chicago Commission:

After one of the most, er, eventful Positive Loitering evenings we've had, two weeks ago, we will be back at the southwest corner of Sheridan and Lawrence tonight, from 7PM to 8PM.

Several people have asked why.  Didn't the shooting of six people just across the street scare us?  Frankly, yes, it did.  It's something we'd really rather not see happen again, ever.  But we'll be there because we believe in the concept of Positive Loitering--that the corners and public areas in our community belong to the law-abiding citizens, not the criminals.  If criminals can take over an area by simply showing up and hanging out, so can the law-abiding residents.  That's why community members have been going out to trouble spots on Friday nights for four years now.

As always, all concerned residents of Uptown are invited to join us and your neighbors.  Bring your dog, bring your neighbor, meet new friends.  The 19th District has told us that in addition to being supportive of our efforts, there will be an officer present with us for the hour.  Please come out and stand with us on behalf of a safer Uptown.

2 comments:

  1. Can't be there tonight, but I'm very encouraged that the events of a couple weeks ago haven't deterred the positive loitering. This ia why I love uptown!

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  2. From Alderman Osterman's newsletter today:

    Public Safety Update

    Yesterday, the Chicago Police Department conducted an undercover operation targeting the north Uptown Area near Lawrence and Sheridan. This operation targeted 20 individuals associated with narcotic sales and gang activity. The police have arrested 14 individuals as part of this sting and are in the process of apprehending the remainder. A number of these individuals are also involved in illegal activity in the Argyle area.

    This effort will help address the ongoing safety problems in Uptown and around Argyle Street, including the recent shootings in front of the J.J.Peppers at Lawrence and Sheridan. 46th Ward Alderman James Cappleman and I are meeting with the owners of this strip mall and the police commanders next week to address this incident in detail.

    I want to commend the efforts of Chicago Police Department, including Commanders James Jones (20th) and Commander Voulgaris (19th) as well as Superintendent Garry McCarthy in addressing the criminal gang and drug activity in this part of our neighborhood. Similar to other undercover operations conducted in recent years, this recent sting was sparked by concerns and reports given by community members committed to ending negative activity in our neighborhoods.

    If you have any questions or have more information regarding suspicious or criminal activity, please reach out to Marko Zaric of my staff by calling (773) 784-5277 or emailing Marko@48thward.org.

    (Full newsletter here: http://bit.ly/14P67co)

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