10:53 PM: Shots fired. Multiple tickets coming in. 7 to 8 shots fired at Jonquil and Ashland. At the same time a victim got beat up by four black males. They hit the victim in the back of the head with a pipe in Gale Park. Victim has a deep gash and is bleeding profusely. EMS is transporting the victim of the beating to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston. Crowds are building up. Now the police are trying to control the wild crowd of about 50 gawkers. Back up is called in. Chicago Police are short "wagons" and asking for Evanston's help.
2422 is handling the shots fired call.
2424 is handling the pipe beating.
21 comments:
"It's fair to say that violent crime in Chicago is out of control," Gov. Blagojevich said. In certain communities in the city of Chicago, it's reaching epidemic proportions."
Still no word from Joe 'Crime is down' Moore on the violent crime that is plaguing his neighborhood.
Go figure.....this intersection is discussed at every CAPS meeting as being a problem. Northpoint Management is supposed to have security patrols to keep problems down, but they can't be too effective when they don't get out of their cars. There are two security cameras in this area. One at the north entrance of Gale Park at Jonquil Terrace and Ashland, and one at the south entrance of Gale Park at Ashland and Howard. As you can see, they are both very effective.
Two days ago there was a pair smoking a joint and drinking out of a paper bag under the Morse Avenue Police Camera without a care in the world. One person was leaning on Big Belly.
Police cameras either don't work or aren't being monitored.
I remember TV footage of them having to remove the tape to view what one of those cameras had recorded.
I'd always thought these cameras fed a live feed back to some central office to be monitored.
If they're just fancy VCRs, they are only maybe good to see who committed the crime, but I've seen no stories on any success.
Now, the red light cameras on the other hand, work and work great. City is cleaning up with those.
You see, people, it's all about priorities.
Here's a good questions for
the Commander of the 24th District....Beat 2422...: Why is the park not cleared out at the posted closing time?? The park sign used to say closed at 9 PM...it may be 11 PM now but, whatever time it is, WHY IS IT NOT ENFORCED??
The police do get on the speakers and tell everyone to clear out of Gale Park. I've heard them. The problem is - as with any gathering place or hotspot - some return as soon as the police leave.
Maybe a mobile outpost like they had a few years ago would be a deterrent.
Consistent, pro-active policing, (getting out of the car and going into the park, for example) could and would deal with this in a relatively short period of time. It's like painting over graffiti; the taggers come back and re tag, you immediately paint over it again, and again and again. Soon the taggers take their 'work' somewhere else. If the police would consistently deal with enforcing the closing time of the Park, it would eventually lead to people staying out. Driving by once a night with the speaker horn telling people to leave doesn't get it done! Last nights violence is the result of non-enforcement of the park closing time. Those who live adjacent to the park are living a kind of 'nightmare' due to the out of control situation in Gale Park and it goes on all night long, night after night!
23 hours later and shots fired again at Jonquil Terrace and Ashland. Again tonight at least 50 to 60 people were allowed to gather on the street corners at that intersection. Northpoint Security does nothing to stop the loitering in front of their buildings on Ashland. They say it's a CPD problem because the people are on the sidewalk. CPD doesn't get out of the car. They drive by. This intersection is brought up at every CAPS meeting as a problem. I believe if I check the CAPS meeting notes for the past year, that same intersection will be mentioned every month. I guess we'll have to wait until someone gets shot and killed before we get some attention to this problem.
Too many gangs thriving near Jonquil Terrace... I think CHA should get more involved...
CHA is not the issue...they have no housing in that area. The housing involved is run by NorthPoint (AIMCO) and the Jonquil Hotel, run by Bud Ogles's 'Good News Partners'. What was the point of placing 'No Loitering' signs on the NorthPoint buildings, at the direction and advice of the CPD, if the CPD doesn't enforce it. Further, why doesn't the CPD enforce the City of Chicago 'Gang Loitering Ordinance'? They don't disperse these groups, allowing people to hang out, drinking, doing drugs and prostitution. It's no wonder there is trouble on a nightly basis. It's been allowed to go on for years! Enough already! You hear it on the scanner, night after night: "Large group of people at the corner of Jonquil and Ashland" or "Large group gathered in Gale Park". Disperse them! Enforce the LAWS! ZERO TOLERANCE...WE WANT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BACK!
Are these gang loitering hotspots? If not, then there is nothing that can be done absent any other criminal behavior. The days of the policeman telling a bunch of punks hanging out to move on are over. It is no longer a crime but instead a violation of their Constitutional right to tell them to move. Brought to you courtesy of the ACLU. I suggest you call them and tell you about your problem.
It's my understanding that the designation of a 'gang loitering hot spot' is initiated at the request of the Alderman's office to the District Commander. If this area/intersection has NOT been so designated, it's another great example of our Alderman's complete incompetence in providing his constituents with basic safety and quality of life. If this area is not a gang loitering hot-spot (its been for years) what the hell is!
P.S. There have been, in addition to the daily ongoing 24/7 criminal activity,(i.e.,drug dealing, prostitution, public drinking, etc.) 4 killings, and numerous shootings and beatings in the 2 block area around this location during the past couple of years, ALL related to the ongoing activity at this location in and around Gale Park AND Gale School! Doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that this is a HOT-SPOT, as defined! DUH!!
While the Alderman is consulted as a courtesy, he is not really given say so as to where the hotspots are. That is determined by a variety of things. Calls for service, arrest data, community requests all are considered. So stop blaming Moore what what he can't control. Here's an example. In the district that I work in, the alderman wanted a camera across from his office. He cited a host of reasons why he should have one. It was denied. So as you can see, the Alderman doesn't control where they are installed. Just because YOU call a certain area a "hotspot" that doesn't mean it complies with the requirements. While you may think a certain area is by definition a "hotspot" there are probably more dangerous areas in a district that merit one before yours does. I know that doesn't help you but thats the way it is. Sorry. BTW, there is not an unlimited supply of cameras.
I know what qualifies as a 'hot-spot' as a result of many conversations and meetings with Former 24th District Commander Bruce Rottner,(and those who preceded him, going back 30 years) and believe me this area is a hot-spot. It meets the criteria; calls, arrests, crimes and homicides. Ask the residents and check the records! And yes, the Alderman can designate and insist on hot-spot status for such a situation. Even if that weren't the case, why hasn't the 24th District Commander made such a determination. Hell, anybody who listens to a scanner knows what's going on in this location!
OK MCL, tell us what the criteria is for installing a camera. Give us some numbers as to what will get you a camera. And tell us how those decisions are made.
There's already a fucking police camera at Jonquil and Ashland. The fucker doesn't work.
Thank you, Craig!! FYI, big daddy: that non-working camera at Ashland and Jonquil was installed 3 years ago at the request of the community!
Based on information given at the CAPS meetings, the intersections of Jonquil Terrace and Ashland and Jonquil Terrace and Bosworth have both been designated at gang hot spots. These two intersections are topics of discussion at every CAPS meeting. The police admit they are problem spots, and tell us they are doing their best. Even if they were not designated as hot spots, the public drinking in the streets and on the sidewalks alone should be enough to get an officer out of the car. Maybe they could also get some drug possession arrests out of if also, since they openly smoke joints at these two intersections all day and all night long. Then you can add the bottle throwing at passing cars and pedestrians and littering charges also. This type of behavior certainly would not be tolerated in the Gold Coast or Lincoln Park. Why is it allowed to continue north of Howard? My property taxes are not discounted because I get less police protection and live in an unsafe neighborhood.
MCL - Then we are in agreement. The camera you mentioned was put there at the request of the community exactly as I stated in a previous post. I have no dog in this fight. I've never met the alderman and hope I never do. To me he's just another democrap spoon feeding the masses with the usual lies that they have been doing in this city for decades. But whats right is right and to suggest that he has control over the cameras is misleading. And thanks for the support.
All of this going on, day in and day out, all year long, directly across the street from, if not on the grounds of, Gale School. It's unbelievable and IMO, the 24th District is completely responsible for allowing this out of control lawlessness to thrive over the years. It's as though the police attitude is to let it go on as long as it's 'contained' to the area and only respond when someone is shot or otherwise injured. It's just a matter of time until some kid or other innocent person is killed by a stray bullet. In fact, given what goes on, and as long as it's been allowed to go on, it's amazing that hasn't already happened.
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