Craig,
I am a small business owner, at the corner of Ravenswood and Greenleaf (close to where the boy was shot a few weeks ago).
Saturday night, Dec 1st at approx 10:30 PM someone smashed one of my store windows. This is the second such incident. The first time there was barely a noticeable crack. This time there is a basketball sized hole in the window and glass all over the store. (pictures attached)
This little area has been a problem for some time. Much of it can be attributed to a bar two doors away from the 49th ward campaign office.
The police took 15 or more minutes to respond to the alarm company. They wrote a report and said this is not a usual problem in this area. They were quick to point out that I could get a ticket for not having a permit affixed in my window for the alarm.
After speaking to some friends about my location 1775 W Greenleaf, they said they knew of previous businesses at this site who had to call the police on a regular basis.
There is a new camera on the new traffic light at Greenleaf and Clark, but not sure what it will be used for. Considering how many people take the Metra, you would think more attention would be paid to reducing the crime here.
Thanks for reporting the issues in the community.
Anthony Mesok
Bark Place LLC
FYI: The boy who was shot a few weeks ago was not someone "shooting each other". From what I understand, the attack was unprovoked. The poor young man was shot 7 times by a man who likes to think he is part of a gang (The disciples...)
23 comments:
Anthony,
This area is also problematic due to the unguarded Metra Station.
The graffiti at the station, left by gangs, illustrates this point clearly.
Craig, you can link up to my post "Rogers Park Metra Station Part III" for details.
Hi Bark Place,
The bar that you mention has some real issues that have gone some what unnoticed and unreported lately. The Tom Tom club and trash detective could assist our community in expossing this bar.
I might could provide a live feed video camera if we could port to one of your blogs. If a picture is worth a thousand words what would a live feed be worth? A song and dance.
There is a current power strugle for that piece of real estate.
Can anyone provide the owner of the bars name and address and invite them to the next CAPS meeting.
The CAPS Office can determine who owns the bar and send them a letter which "strongly encourages" them to attend the next meeting.
Hi Big Daddy,
Is that the office by Dominics on Howard?
Hey Cragie, Aren't you quiting the blog??
I'll pay for the Funeral
"they were quick to note that I could get a ticket for not having an alarm sticker affixed to my window".
The statement above, made by the victim, goes a long way toward explaining why our cities have so much crime and why so many people, and, in particular, so many businesses, head for newer, relatively unregulated, suburbs.
The police, the reader will note, took 15 minutes to respond, and showed more concern for the sticker than they did for the plight of the victim, who has a monstrously expensive repair on his hands, and probably will be facing a hefty increase in his insurance premiums.
Small businesses and ordinary citizens are harrassed to death with taxes, fines, and fees for every improvement they make on their properties and for any attempt to make a living with a small business. How much of a living do you stand to make off most "boutique" businesses, anyway?
Consider the unbelievable bureacracy, regulation, and obstruction, with associated fees and fines, that most small businesses are burdened with, and you have to be surprised we have any. I can't think of a more hostile business climate for a small business than the average big city or older suburb.
Consider all that along with the incredible tax breaks and other corporate welfare granted to large, and redundant, "big box" stores, and you begin to see why the city is experiencing financial problems.
It's simply that our leaders are systematically destroying the businesses and citizens who pay the city bills with their taxes, while giving the place away to non-taxpayers.
I agree North Coast. These things will continue as long as the sheep continue to re-elect people like stroger and daley.
As far as the Police aspect of your post, I wonder how long it took the alarm company to notify the Police that there was in fact an alarm activated at that location. Often the alarm companies are very tardy when they notify the Police if the notify them at all. Many times the Police notify the alarm company that a alarm is going of at one of their clients place of business.
Progun, I'm referring to the CAPS Office in the 24th District.
Anthony's business is just the type we want in the neighborhood. A small business that hirs locals (and takes care of our local furry pals). He deserves as much support as the community (police, Ward office, Dev Corp etc...)can give. I am going to mention the police response to the CAPs 2431 team-it's inappropriate!
That area NEEDS to be addressed. Whatever beat it is in-I don't care. It is a developing little commercial area right by the metra. I recall years ago when a cute little coffee shop went in the very shop Bark Place is in. I wonder what happened there.
If it takes a camera, bring on the cameras.
Several years ago, a cousin of mine who used to live in the area invited me out to hang out for the evening. We get all dressed up, and I think we're going to some nice lounge. Instead, she takes me to that dive bar across from the Bark Place. The place was a regular hangout for a few neighborhood drug dealers, and just a seedy place to be in, period. That was the first and last time I was there.
I pass by it often, and half the time, it doesn't appear to be in business. When the lights are on, it doesn't appear that many are either going in or coming out.
Unfortunately, areas around viaducts are magnets for crime. There is usually not enough street lighting nearby, and the isolation/off the beating path issue is a factor as well.
Jocelyn - Why would you mention it at the CAPS meeting to beat team 2431. They weren't there,they aren't responsible for what was said and neither one of us know what context it was said if it was said at all. IMHO some things are better left unsaid. This would be one of those times.
The response by the officers is just a reflection of their inability and lack of desire to confront the real crime happening all around them. It's much easier to pick on the business owner for something like a missing alarm sticker, than to actually do some hard work and investigate the actual crime.
Typical jerkwad Chicago cops.
No...ALL Chicago cops are not like this. Just too many.
You got that exactly right, e!
It's also easier to pass laws keeping nicotine smokers off the beach than it is to nail people dealing meth and coke, and to get them off the streets forever.
It's easier to harrass a woman who is a notable animal-lover, for letting her dog run 4 feet without a leash on an empty street than it is to take action to abate the shootings and muggings and break-ins.
It isn't just the cops, it's our city and state officials.
'Tis said you get the government you deserve, and we citizens better individually and collectively examine ourselves and consider just what we have done or omitted to do, to deserve the passle of goons, crooks, and airheads that we've let take charge.
How do you know that they didn't investigate the crime? Oh, you don't, your just assuming that they didn't. And please define "picking on" because if informing someone that owns a business that they are technically in violation of the law is " picking on" someone then I'm sorry if the poor baby feels that he was "picked on" by the big bad policeman. And tell me, how is it possible that you can make the clear assumption that they had no desire or an ability to investigate this crime? Is that based upon some fact that we do not know about or is it based upon your interpretation of this small little article on a blog?
North Coast- Last time I checked the Police did not pass any laws keeping anybody off a beach. That's what the city council does. And as far as the the " notable animal lover" letting her dog run four feet off the leash, well I for one applaud the Police for doing that. As a true animal lover, not a "notable one" I hate it when I see these people with their pets off leash only to be struck and killed by a car. And yes, I've seen it serveral times, even after warning them that it was an improper thing to do if only out of concern for the pet. As far as them not doing anything about the shootings, muggins and breakins, I suggest you go over to the revolving door aka Branch 42 of the Circuit Court of Cook County at 2427 W Belmont to find out who is really responsible for the muggings, shootings and breakins. Bring "E" along and watch the circus. Then maybe the two of you can make an intelligent and EDUCATED decision as to why things are the way they are instead of spouting off on a topic of which you obviously have little knowlege of.
i thought this bar had been closed. i would be curious to know what the situation there is. the whole building is in crappy shape. iirc, there was an attempt to dry that precinct, but i think it was voted down. there are responsible license holders in the same precinct that no one wanted to punish by voting dry. another bad bar on that block was closed down by the "do nothing alderman".
Personally I plan to do some drinking at that bar and post a review.
Ambiance, clientele and level of service those kinds of things.
Will bring a couple of trusted neighbors along for a balance of perspective.
Still I think that they should be invited to the next Caps meeting as a preemptive strike before things really deteriorate.
Rather than relying on 2nd hand Intel I will provide 1st hand experiences. I would be curious if they have cable and tomorrow's bears redskins game.
Wow, BigDaddy, how do you know they DID investigate the crime? Oh,...you're just assuming they did?
What you're missing in my post is that the police, as described by the victim, added insult to injury by focusing on the alarm sticker. It's not that they should overlook the issue, but there is a time and a place for everything, and hitting the guy while he's down is not the time. Bad judgement by the police in this case.
Hey Craig! BigDaddy says crime is down, as evidenced by the volume of criminals he's witnessing over at the circuit court! They must be picking them all up in RP. Woo hoo!
Crime is down.
Well, Moore or less.
burglar alarms are a major nuisance to the cops. many go off for no reason, or are tripped by employees, or the wind, or, in one case i know of, where the resident macaw learned the game of "scream with the nice loud sound". even when the do indicate an attempted crime on the business, the bad guys go screeching off when the thing sounds. the guy got a ticket because he did not have contact information for the alarm company properly posted. there are a lot of rules and regs that a small business owner needs to know, and might miss, but i guarantee you the alarm company explained that shit to him. not having it posted meant cops had to sit around until someone was tracked down to come open the store, etc.
he got a ticket for idling a blue and white. don't the libertarians like that? how about the crime crybabies?
E, no, I'm not assuming that they did investigate the crime, I KNOW that they DID investigate the crime. I'd like to tell you how I know but in doing so I would reveal too much about myself that I don't care to have certain people know at this time so my word will have to suffice for now. And where or when did I ever say that crime is going down? What I SAID was that you find a day in Br. 42 interesting. That is if you really want to find out why things are the way they are. I NEVER said crime was down. But you already knew that.
The Metra station should be located by Howard street anyway. They made a decision years ago that was backed by JoMo. They had some thriving Currency Exchange and didn't want to hurt its business. So instead of moving the station near Howard to create a real transportation hub they left it where it was. Fucking Joke this neighborhood is.
Big Daddy - I probably won't bring it up. I'm sure I'll have something more important to bring to the next CAPs meetng.
All I would have said was that perhaps a bit more sensitivity to the business owner would have been nice. Is that such a bad thing to say? I thought CAPs meetings were a good place for(constructive) feedback from the community. The police often seem to have no problem giving citizens feedback (don't carry a purse, those were not gunshots you just heard-you don't know what gunshots sound like you dumbdumb, etc...), so why can't we? ;o)
I'm not trying to "tattle," just improve relations between police the community.
FYI The police were very nice and courteous. They did NOT give me a ticket. The police are doing the best they can under the circumstances. I see them regularly trying to crack down on the drugs, gang members, etc. BTW I don't mind paying a fine for an accidental alarm, but a permit just to have one?
The bar across the street is very dangerous. I am told gang members are admitted with a hefty cover charge. It's all blacked out so you cannot see inside. They shoot up drugs in the alley in the back of the building.
Prostitutes come out a night like roaches, with people on the corners watching out for police, as they do what they want in the alley.
The people who live upstairs and business surrounding the bar all seem to be upstanding citizens, and have to deal with the mess.
That bar is a HUGE problem in this neighborhood.
'Been There'.....BTW The alarm company did not explain the permit to me.
and my employee was standing in the freezing rain waiting on the police (remember the weather last Sat Night?)
I am not faulting the police. They are doing the best they can.
Everyone can disect this story however they want. The bottom line is we live in a wonderful neighborhood and are disgusted that we allow bars like this and the thugs that roam the streets to continue.
It's not any one's problem. We all own this problem, afterall, this country is still a democracy.
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