Alderman for the 44th Ward of Chicago Tom Tunney
Superintendent of Chicago Police Department Garry McCarthy
District 19 Police Commander Elias Voulgaris
Alderman for the 46th Ward of Chicago James Cappleman
Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel
We live, work, shop, and play in Lakeview. We are single, married, young, old, gay, straight, and everything in between. We are concerned with our safety and the ones we love. We request some meaningful and effective changes from our elected officials and public servants:
1. We want more police. We want the criminals caught. When we need the police, we need them to respond quickly. We want police staffing returned to the level it was prior to when the 19th and 23rd police districts were combined. We want police to patrol two per car. We want bicycle and foot patrols. We want implementation of the Violence Reduction Initiative (V.R.I) that would assign additional police during the current crime wave. We want a dedicated, legitimate, and effective Entertainment Detail. And we want an officer teamed with social services to help those sleeping on the street overnight.
2. We want accountability from the many social service organizations that bring so many people with complex problems into our neighborhood: The Center on Halsted, Broadway Youth Center, The Night Ministry, The Crib, and others. We want licensing and regulations applied to organizations formerly grandfathered in and currently subject to little or no oversight. We want these organizations held accountable so they operate in a manner that maintains the safety and integrity of the neighborhood. And new or relocating social service agencies should be subject to public meetings and hearings with neighbors, businesses, and all parties affected.
3. We want businesses held accountable for activities on their property. Some businesses need to hire security to manage the unchecked numbers of youth who gather and cause an adverse effect during late night hours of operation.
4. We want unacceptable behaviors affecting quality of life addressed: public urination, defecation on private and public property, open alcohol, open drug transactions, threatening behavior, lewd conduct, and prostitution. Additional unacceptable behaviors include loitering at entrances to public transit, blocking sidewalks, entrances, and driveways, and riding bikes on pedestrian sidewalks.
Sincerely,
