Community safety update

Summer is winding down and fall will be here shortly. With schools opening, the increase in pedestrian traffic should be a call for all to be extra-cautious when driving.  A lot of people concentrate on their electronic devices and do not pay attention at intersections.  This causes a lot of headaches for drivers.  Just try to concentrate a little more to avoid accidents. Also, bike traffic will increase and, due to some aggressive bike riders, near misses will be on the rise. I know how frustrating these bicyclists can be — I have had a few close calls myself.  

You should take the time to again warn your children about the dangers of “MR. STRANGER DANGER”; if confronted, they should scream and run.   If they are close to an open store, they should enter and tell the clerk to call 911.

With recent incidents of sexual assault, remember there is no safe time or location that will make you totally secure. Be vigilant at all times and if you feel uncomfortable with a person close by, call 911 and try to give a description and location.  This is a community concern and all citizens should be on alert to assist the Chicago Police Department to apprehend these criminals.  Do not try to confront the person; you never know if he or she is armed.  This is a job for the police.

Encourage your children and yourself to take the ear buds out to be more aware of who is coming up behind and to be more aware of your surroundings, especially at night.

Crime has dropped in the city due to increased police presence. To help them in their jobs, citizens need to report suspicious activities that they might observe. A billboard quote sums it up:

“For a question call 311, for a crime call 911.”

Crime Reminders, Bulletins

1. Always remember when something seems suspicious or you witness a crime, do not hesitate to call 911.  Without your help, the Chicago Police Department has a harder time protecting the neighborhood.
2. SNA urges you to sign up for crime bulletins provided by the Chicago Police Department’s Sergeant Schulman. The bulletins advise the community of the area incidents and/or criminals that are operating in this neighborhood. Sign up by sending a request via email to Cynthia.Schumann@chicagopolice.org.  If you have any questions regarding the latest crime bulletins, call the 18^th District Community Policing Office at 312-742-5778.

Crime Track

For some time, SNA has tracked the major incidences of crime, to keep the neighbors informed. Your vigilance has helped the police to keep this area’s crime incidences down.  Please keep up the good work by getting involved with the BEAT meetings and calling 911.

Initially, the project has been tracking non-domestic crimes to persons that occur on the streets, sidewalks, and alleys. The statistics will be somewhat dated in that they are based upon what is available from the Chicago Police Department’s CLEARpath website on the date that material must be submitted for publication.  Thus, for this issue, the project tracked crimes from June 20, 2015 through August 19, 2015. This is not every incident, but gives a good representation of the activity.

TOTALS

June 28-August 26 (approximately 60 days) x 6 incidents = 1 incident per 10.0 days

Upcoming Dates to Remember

The Chicago Police Department bi-monthly BEAT meetings are helpful in understanding the policing efforts in our district (the 18^th).  The police prepare charts and maps that identify all crimes committed in the last month and discuss their efforts to arrest the perpetrators.  They also bring the incident reports if a member of the community wants further details of a crime.  In addition, the police bring guest speakers from the various departments to discuss their roles in the prevention of crime and give helpful suggestions on how the community can help.  The police have a number of pamphlets pointing out ways to protect yourself and the community, as well.

Attending a BEAT meeting is the best way to communicate your concerns to the officers who patrol your community.  SNA members attend the meetings, but they need your support.  I strongly urge members of the community to take an active interest in the BEAT meeting program to show community support for the police.

*Beats 1811, 1812, 1813 & 1814

(1811-North Avenue north to Fullerton, Sheffield west to the Chicago  River)

(1812-Armitage north to Fullerton, Sheffield east to Sedgwick)

(1813-North Avenue north to Armitage, Sedgwick west to Sheffield)

(1814-North Avenue north to Fullerton, Sedgwick east to the lakefront)

2^nd Thursday of every odd month at 6:30 pm, Old Town Triangle Center, 1765 N. North Park Avenue.

John Roberts chairs SNA’s Community Safety Committee.