I just hate to hear about expressway shootings

 

[VIDEO] This incident occurred near 120th Street on the Bishop Ford (and I still call it the Calumet) Expressway last night at about 10:30 PM. The victim had the wherewithal to drive himself to Roseland Hospital on 111th Street to get treated. As you see in this footage the Illinois State Police scoured the scene looking for evidence.

I've seen too many stories like this especially on fb of shootings on our expressways whether I-57, the Dan Ryan or even the Eisenhower on the way to the West Side.... What can we do about this?

The mayor's office plan for a safe summer 2021

 The Mayor of Chicago seemed to have had a very rough time in office since taking over for Rahm Emanuel in 2019. And now she's unveiled the city's strategy to combat crime and violence during the summer of '21. Do you think she will be successful utilizing for example other city services such as our public libraries and Chicago's parks to give youth something to do this summer.

The graphic below posted to the Mayor's office ig shows which areas will be getting attention in the city. If you swipe for other graphics on that post, there's other information shared about the plan.

Is ShotSpotter effective?

 For you Star Wars fans out there "May the 4th be with you"

Now in all seriousness here's something for those of you to discuss. Occasionally on @thesixthward twitter I may run across tweets that note "ShotSpotter" data. I don't really listen to police scanners, however, it seems as if ShotSpotter is noted in police communications.

So this morning over at The Capitol Fax there's a discussion over whether or not ShotSpotter is effective. Can it distinguish between a gunshot, fireworks, construction or even a car backfiring? The Mayor of Chicago is definitely behind using this technology and certainly the response time to check out a possible case of gunfire.

ShotSpotter reliability questioned, but Lightfoot stands firm https://t.co/zin3MJyGrm

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) May 4, 2021

The next question that hopefully you might be able to answer at CapFax is whether or not you think ShotSpotter is effective?

Sun-Times: Man charged with stabbing 61-year-old woman to death in Roseland

The crime actually occurred last Friday arrest made on Monday:

A man has been charged with fatally stabbing a 61-year-old woman last week in a home in the Roseland neighborhood.

Richard Rollins, 54, stabbed Vicky D. Braboy several times after entering a home in the 100 block of West 111th Place about 1:30 p.m. Friday, according to Chicago police.

Braboy, who lived in the same block where she was stabbed, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Rollins was arrested Monday by the Great Lakes Regional Task Force in the 3000 block of West Roosevelt Road, police said. He lives about a block away from the stabbing.

CBS Chicago: 22-Year-Old Woman Shot While Sitting In Car In Rosemoor

 

[VIDEO] Sorry to have missed this it was from overnight Thursday into Friday a 22-year-old woman was found shot in her head near 102nd & King Drive reported on WBBM-TV. She survived but due to her injuries was't able to give a good description of the shooters.

Fran Spielman: SC Johnson steps forward to fund Beale’s $250,000 Roseland ‘cop house’ #Ward09

Sun-Times:

SC Johnson & Son, Inc., a multi-billion dollar manufacturer of household cleaning supplies, identified itself Thursday as the $250,000 corporate donor behind Ald. Anthony Beale’s Roseland “cop house.”

“You can’t get any bigger and more credible than that,” Beale (9th) told the Sun-Times.

“This is a great tool that they fund elsewhere. They wanted to bring it to my community. ... To have a Fortune 100 company step up to the plate in my ward is really a tribute to what we’ve been able to do out here.”

...

The company’s $250,000 commitment in Roseland, where they own Method Manufacturing and a second distribution facility, will test the concept in the Chicago Police Department’s Calumet district.

“As a member of the Chicago community with manufacturing operations in the Pullman neighborhood, SC Johnson is invested in supporting the people and communities where we live and work,” the company said in a statement.

“We view these funds, given to Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, a non-profit organization dedicated to economic development and neighborhood revitalization, as a pathway to help improve outcomes for communities.”

SC Johnson has a vested interest in improving neighborhood safety, Beale said. The company approached him about bankrolling CNI’S purchase and renovation of a Roseland home on a crime-plagued block to create a place where police officers, adult residents and young people can come together to build trust.

After a trip to Racine to see how it works, Beale decided to try it in Chicago, only to have Lightfoot stonewall the idea — with deadly consequences, according to the alderman.

“The very first house we had in mind — we had a contract on it. We ended up losing the contract. Five people have been shot and two people have been killed in or around the house where we were trying to first implement this,” he said.

I got some research to do on this "cop house". How will this plan be implemented? Why is the Mayor of Chicago opposed to it?

We should be trying anything to get crime rates down in the city, and especially in unsafe neighborhoods.

Read the whole thing. 

Chicago Tribune: Authorities investigating ‘suspicious package’ at Far South Side Metra facility

I'm checking the Metra website and see no mention of any service updates with regards to this. Trains were stopped during rush hour, however, nothing that shows definitively that service has been continued.

This was the story from the Tribune as of 4:30 Friday evening.

A Far South Side Metra facility was evacuated and Metra Electric District trains were halted Friday afternoon after an employee noticed a suspicious package, Metra officials said.

The package was reported at a maintenance facility at 12301 S. Indiana Ave. in the West Pullman neighborhood, Metra spokesman Michael Gillis said. As of about 4 p.m., Metra Electric trains were still stopped, and authorities continued to investigate the threat.

The trains were halted around 3:20 p.m. “out of an abundance of caution” because the line passes near the facility, Gillis said.

Second City Cop: Batten Down the Hatches...Again

 While this post at Second City cop is very political, it's a fascinating look at the politics of what happened with Anjanette Young as the police wrongfully served a warrant on her residence. So the windy city cop blogger notes that there is a lack of warrant training among police officers. And then the fall out of this news - which actually happened February 2019 - has reached the mayor's office. And just today a corporation counsel for the city has resigned their post.

Heard about the case of Anjanette Young

 She was a social worker who's home was hit wrongfully by a police search warrant. Capitol Fax shared a press release from an organization of social workers & Black legislators on this subject. Also in that post are a number of links to stories with regards to Ms. Young.

From the Black legislators' press release:

What we see play out in the video of Anjanette Young is an act of racism, gendered violence and yet another violation of a Black woman’s dignity and safety. She told police 43 times that they had the wrong house, yet they stood there while she remained handcuffed and unclothed. Ms. Young had the courage to pursue the release of CPD bodycam footage in the face of legal threats from the City’s top leaders. Now it’s our turn to pursue justice and accountability for the wrongful trauma Ms. Young experienced, all rooted in the same systemic racism that plagues Black people throughout our state and country. We will not let Ms. Young stand alone without answers from the City.

Also this story was shared to a more nationwide audience at Instapundit noting:

As Ed Driscoll first raised here, Democratic Mayor of Chicago’s Lori Lightfoot actually directed her personally-appointed city lawyers to block CBS’ Chicago TV station from airing police body cam footage of them arresting and cuffing the wrong woman.

FFS, how can this woman say she believes “Black Lives Matter” when she tries to suppress footage showing potential police misconduct or incompetence? How can any Democrat say they support her and the idea of BLM? She was rightly laughed out of court. Worth noting:

“This isn’t the first time CPD attempted to shield body camera video from public view. Last year, police denied CBS 2’s FOIA request for video that would show how officers handcuffed 8-year-old Royal Wilson during a bad raid. The department said it would be “unduly burdensome” for police to collect, review and redact 16 hours of video.”

I think it's in our best interest to insure police has the correct information so that they won't execute a search warrant on the wrong house. 

Another young life cut short by violence

 

[VIDEO] This really isn't something you want to hear about. A young man cut short before he makes an impact on the world

From the WGN story above to a Tribune write-up:

Isaiah Wade, 15, was shot in the head just before 2:30 p.m. Monday in the 10000 block of South Perry Avenue where he lived in the Fernwood neighborhood, police said.

Responding officers found him lying in an alley near his home. Five shell casings were found in a backyard nearby and there were bullet holes in several garages, police said.

The boy’s mother told police she believed her son was chatting with someone on social media and might have been lured outside. Police said they recovered the boy’s cellphone.

“Another family left to mourn, forever altered,” Cardinal Blase Cupich said in a statement. “Mt. Carmel High School is a close community and we keep Isaiah, his family, friends and school staff in our prayers during this unimaginably heartbreaking time.”

I hope Wade's family finds out who did this and he receives justice for a life that was taken. It was reported no one was in custody and police are looking for tips via cpdtip.com

Supt. David Brown shared this tweet Friday about Officer Titus Moore

Titus Moore died at his West Chesterfield home Nov. 24, 2020 and Supt. Brown share this tweet Friday night noting that there will be an honors funeral for this 14-year CPD veteran.

The death of #ChicagoPolice Officer Titus Moore is a loss for this Department and the entire city. In memory of the 14-year CPD veteran, we're coordinating an honors funeral for him next week.

He left an irreplaceable void and a legacy of service we will carry on in his memory. pic.twitter.com/1qABTRpDoJ

— Chicago Police Superintendent David O. Brown (@ChiefDavidBrown) December 5, 2020

Winter overnight parking ban begins tonight!

 Technically it begins at 3 AM so great apologies if you see this just now and realize you need to get your car off the streets. I'm sharing this tweet from the Chicago Police which appears to have been shared as I write this post 3 hours ago.

Chicago: don’t forget to move your cars tonight if you’re parked along any of the tow away zone streets marked in red. https://t.co/HMpX59NyYv pic.twitter.com/UbhrJZNDAl

— Chicago Police (@Chicago_Police) December 1, 2020

WGN News: Chicago police officer who died while battling COVID-19 lived life to the fullest

 

[VIDEO] WGN has more about Titus Moore, the police officer who was found dead at his home in West Chesterfield earlier this week. Reportedly he was battling the coronavirus.

Glad to see this report that shows the human side of the officer. Condolences to his friends and family.

Chicago police officer found dead in West Chesterfield home..

 

[VIDEO] A little too close to home sadly as you see in this video from WGN. You see a procession of police cars on Wabash near 95th Street on Tuesday.

Here's a brief write-up by the Chicago Sun-Times:

A Chicago police officer was found dead inside his South Side home Tuesday morning.

Paramedics found the officer unresponsive about 11:10 a.m. in the 9400 block of South Wabash Avenue, according to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

The officer was identified as Titus Moore, 46, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. His cause of death has not been determined.

Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said Moore worked in the Calumet District on the Far South Side. City records show Moore worked as a Field Training Officer, in charge of training new police academy graduates. Records show Moore was hired by the CPD in 2006.

What was mentioned in the WGN report is that officer Moore had tested positive for the coronavirus, however, it's not clear if that's the cause of death.

Rest in Peace officer Titus Moore. 

Wednesday's Board of Ed. vote on police in schools

Chicago Tribune:

The Chicago Board of Education will enter into another yearlong contract with the Chicago Police Department, this time not to exceed $12.1 million.

In the meantime, the board gave Chicago Public Schools seven months to come up with a comprehensive plan to help schools develop alternative school safety strategies.

As students continued to protest the use of school police outside CPS’s Loop headquarters Wednesday, the board voted 4-2 to approve the contract that will pay for officers to be stationed in more than 50 high schools when they reopen. Elizabeth Todd-Breland and Amy Rome voted no, while Board President Miguel del Valle, Vice President Sendhil Revuluri and members Dwayne Truss and Lucino Sotelo all voted in favor. Luisiana Melendez abstained.

As soon as the votes were in, some of the protesters began chanting the names of the members who favored the contract, cursing them along with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Police Department. Youth leaders put out calls for more supporters of police-free schools to show up to CPS headquarters, saying the school board had ignored their voices for too long.

And after reading the rest of this article, probably still a long way from a resolution of this issue. Those who want police out of schools want them out now, they don't want the schools to plan alternate strategies. 

Tribune: Chicago police arrest 13 people after tents are set up outside CPS headquarters to protest officers in schools

It seems the demonstrations continue as far as protests with regards to having police officers in school. And it seems that there was a clash involving tents at Chicago Public Schools HQ - 42 W. Madison St.

More than a dozen people were arrested, including two minors, after protesters set up tents outside the Loop headquarters of Chicago Public Schools on Monday to protest the stationing of police officers in schools.

Police said they gave protesters several warnings that the tents outside 42 W. Madison St. were blocking the streets. Those arrested were charged with “illegally obstructing the roadway,” they said.

The protest was the latest call by activists for the removal of Chicago police officers in Chicago public schools. It came days before the Chicago Board of Education is to consider a resolution that could phase out use of officers.

The resolution, up for a vote Wednesday, would “require that the CEO and district leaders, in consultation with school communities, identify and recommend an alternative plan to ensure safe and supportive school environments.”
...
Monday’s protest drew about 60 people and was organized by the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Assata’s Daughters, FYSH Youth — HANA Center, STOP Chicago, KINETIC Youth — Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Logan Square Neighborhood Association and Enlace Chicago.

Tweets contained from the write-up at the Tribune

LIVE NOW: CPD WE WANT YOU OUT. Listen to the young people. CPD threatening to arrest young people and adult allies demanding #CopsOutCPS https://t.co/WXDvy21Xor

— Students Strike Back #CopsOutCPS (@StuStrikeBack) August 25, 2020

Officers at the protest were ensuring the rights of peaceful protesters were safely facilitated. However, about 60 protesters set up tents in the street, illegally obstructing the roadway. Officers issued 3 warnings to leave the street. 13 individuals remained. https://t.co/PhYH7arxiE

— Chicago Police Communications & News Affairs (@CPD_Media) August 25, 2020

WBEZ: Vote Leaves Black Students Far More Likely To Have Police In School Than Other Teens

For a second we're going back to the latest in having Chicago Police in CPS schools. In the news a good number of schools have voted to have police taken out of the schools. However this WBEZ report is interesting:

After weeks of voting by elected school councils on whether to keep police in schools, only about 24% of 72 Chicago public schools with officers will be removed, leaving the vast majority of school police officers in place after a summer of intense protests advocating for their removal.

The Board of Education considered ending the school resource officer program in June, but the measure was narrowly defeated. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the schools chief and some board members said the decision should be left up to local councils, made up of parents, teachers and community members.
...
The result: The percentage of white and Latino students at schools with police officers will drop significantly in the coming school year. Now, about 48% of white students and 54% of Latino students at traditional city high schools will go to schools with police.

Meanwhile, about 73% of Black students will continue to be at schools with police. (The school district’s SRO program does not include charter schools.) Last school year, about 85% of students — regardless of race — went to a school with police officers.

After what happened at the end of May it's suspicious that this issues is getting attention. It's correct that schools should decide whether or not they should have police officers posted. It also should be up to school what other personnel needs to be at the schools for the students. 

Chicago looted by BLM

[VIDEO] So after Mayor Lightfoot crashes a gathering of people on a north side lakefront beach we get another mass incident of looting locally. The basis for this is said to be a shooting that took place in Englewood on Sunday afternoon. From there, an organized caravan of people go into downtown Chicago and start looting not only there but also the Magnificent Mile. We already experienced some major unrest and now we got more.

Instead of showing some footage from our local news outlets, perhaps we watch someone outside of Chicago analyze what happened overnight through Monday. Anthony Brian Logan is a conservative YouTuber that has taken aim at BLM recently.

I did some posting with regards to this latest development at The Sixth Ward.

Protests in Homan Square at CPD facility on the city's west side

[VIDEO] The video you see above is from Ghetto News Network - welcome back J-Hustle - showing what happened in Homan Square last night on the west side.

You might have seen this on your local news last night, protests have converged on the west side of the city to protest a Chicago Police detention facility. It's something I have to do more research on, however, it appears there is a history of police abuse of citizens here.

That facility that exists there and it appears to be near the old Sears complex on Homan Avenue, it also doesn't appear to be a police station. At first glance seeing how the protests took up the whole streets on the news last night near this complex I automatically had concerns of a CHAZ situation here in Chicago or even what happened to that police station in Minneapolis, Minn in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd.

The Chicago Police had an interesting past week there was a shooting in Auburn-Gresham at a funeral home on 79th Street where reportedly 15 people were wounded and made national headlines. Chicago Police were successfully able to defend a Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park which was later removed by the city on early Friday morning as a slap in the face to those officer who were hurt in that standoff with the protestors rioters.

At least for the past month - aside from an uptick in shootings and homicides here in the city for most of the past month - things in the city had settled down as far as unrest. I just hope any protests remains peaceful. 

Chicago Board of Ed. continues CPD contract

Ald. Roderick Sawyer (Ward 6) discussed this issue last week and I would say he made some good points as far as why police are in CPS schools and what CPS could replace police with in their schools. It's interesting that even the 2nd City Cop blog seemed to support removing police from CPS schools at one point.

Then Wednesday's Board of Education votes and the contract continues [VIDEO]

And 2nd City Cop discusses this some more

The obvious answer is that the four votes don't want to face the political fallout when schools become uninhabitable for the good kids along with the three or four hundred teachers who would resign instantly should their last modicum of safety was removed. That makes them reasonably intelligent....for public school employees that is.

Also from the above video, Miguel del Valle noted that LSCs can make the decision as far as whether they want police officers or school resource officers in their individual schools. I suppose if each school can make that choice then so be it as opposed to making this a system wide mandate. It was noted in this article that Minneapolis' schools made their decision to end their contraction with Minneapolis police. They also voted to abolish their police department.

I wanted to show you this video of the protest on Wednesday in downtown Chicago. I drove right through it at least before Dearborn Street got shut down. Even saw a car with "Defund the police" in big letters and a huge figure of a pig on top of it - fill in the blank on that one though no need in this case I know their point. In this 1 min 30 sec video I don't see that car but we do see the protest. [VIDEO]