Is the violence in Chicago out of control? (approval, car)

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by SmartGXL

Because I live in a gay neighborhood and I attend the CAPS meetings and the police tell us that, in this specific neighborhood, hate crimes (committed by anti-gay hang bangers) is UP, muggings are UP, etc.

Two gay guys in my building alone have had their faces smashed in, while walking down the sidewalk, by packs of thugs who walk around late at night. And on saturday, 15 gang members jumped a gay guy at Broadway and Buckingham at 6:45 PM. This type of violence has been going on in lakeview on an almost nightly basis since Memorial day. The crime levels in Lakeview are UP, PERIOD. The Belmont and Halsted corridors have been under an intense crime wave all summer long. More police have been deployed, and the criminals shifted tactics there for a while, moving off halsted and belmont, over to the side streets.

You are never going to get the accurate stats from the alderman or the mayor. You have to read the bulletin on the chicago police web site to get the true stats, and to attend the CAPS meetings.

Crime levels "city-wide" might be down, but that is a statistic that is easily distorted or misunderstood. Homicides might be down, and crime in general might be down, but in lakeview, certain types of crimes are UP, there is no way this can be denied. Those of us who live here know the truth.

You're talking about issues going on along Halsted and Belmont in the immediate area of Boystown. Lakeview is MUCH MUCH larger than that. There's the entire rest of the north side as well.

I've lived right in this area for almost a decade. My boyfriend lives on Buckingham and Halsted and my friends own Scarlet and Taverna. I'm down there constantly involved in stuff with them.

There was a rash of stuff going on earlier this summer, and it's calmed down quite a bit since then. These things happen ever few years. I can't remember if it was last year or the year before there was that random rash of violence against people walking home late and night that started and then stopped almost at random.

I'm not saying there aren't issues, but I really don't think this is THE END OF THE WORLD. A vast majority of Lakeview has nothing to do with these issues along Halsted and over by Belmont and Clark. There certainly haven't been violent attacks going on every night since memorial day. My friends are out there in front of their business and walking the area 7 days a week talking to other businessmen and residents who work for them.

What went down at 6:45pm at Buckingham and Halsted?? I was right on that corner at that same time. There were 500,000 people in the area for Market Days. I didn't see gang members jumping people.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

What went down at 6:45pm at Buckingham and Halsted?? I was right on that corner at that same time. There were 500,000 people in the area for Market Days. I didn't see gang members jumping people.

Reread his post. He said Buckingham and Broadway, not Buckingham and Halsted.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

There was a rash of stuff going on earlier this summer, and it's calmed down quite a bit since then. These things happen ever few years. I can't remember if it was last year or the year before there was that random rash of violence against people walking home late and night that started and then stopped almost at random.

I'm not saying there aren't issues, but I really don't think this is THE END OF THE WORLD.

Until the day comes when it happens to you. Then it can really seem like the end of the world, even if it isn't.

There is some serious stuff going on out there. Be careful not to downplay it. No problem was ever fixed by burying one's head in the sand and engaging in denial.

[SmartGXL]

Here is a good sample of the violence taking place over just a few days of time here in Boystown/Lakeview over a five day period of time:

Boystown: RedEye 'Hoods - Multiple males attacked, robbed near Halsted

To quote from the article:

28-year-old male robbed outside bar
Aug. 8, 1 a.m.
A 28-year-old male was robbed at Halsted Street and Cornelia Avenue, according to reports. The man said he was standing outside a nearby bar having a cigarette when he was approached by an unknown male in his 30s. The offender reached in the man’s pockets, took his cell phone and credit card, and pushed the victim down. The alleged offender then fled westbound on Cornelia. No arrests.
Masked offender attacks 21-year-old male
Aug. 8, 11 p.m.
A 21-year-old male was robbed near the corner of Roscoe Street and Halsted Street, according to reports. An unknown offender wearing a black mask approached the man filing the report and demanded money. The alleged offender grabbed the wrist of the victim, who then pulled away. The offender fled. No arrests.
Intoxicated male robbed by four offenders
Aug. 11, 1 a.m.
A 22-year-old male was robbed by four unknown offenders near the corner of Halsted Street and Addison Street, according to reports. The man said he was intoxicated and approached by the offenders while he was walking down Halsted Street. The alleged offenders demanded that he give them all his in his wallet and go to an ATM to take out more. They threatened to beat him if he didn’t obey. The man filing the report did what they told him and gave them $500. The offenders quickly fled. No arrests.
22-year-old male attacked while walking with girlfriend
Aug. 12, 2:30 a.m.
A 22-year-old male was robbed and attacked near the corner of Sheffield Avenue and Newport Avenue, according to reports. The man said he was walking home with his girlfriend when he was approached by three unknown offenders. Those alleged offenders began to punch the man, and he eventually fell to the ground. The offenders went into the man’s pockets and stole $45. The man admitted that he and his girlfriend were drunk and refused medical attention. No arrests.
Male approached from behind and robbed
Aug. 13, 4 a.m.
A 22-year-old male was robbed near the corner of Belmont Avenue and Broadway, according to reports. The man said he was approached from behind and put in a choke-hold by an unknown offender. The alleged offender removed the man’s wallet and cell phone from his back pocket and fled. The man was escorted home by the police because he feared the offender was at his apartment. No arrests.

[sydbarrett]

Thanks Red Eye for providing a physical description of the offenders.

[SmartGXL]

Originally Posted by sydbarrett

Thanks Red Eye for providing a physical description of the offenders.

Yes, notice how they keep it ambivalent. They want to us to think it could have been anyone! "Yeah, those LP trixies, donning black ski masks and putting choke holds and robbing people!"

[RingWalk]

Is crime down?

As usual the truth is not black and white.

Chicago Weekend: Is Crime Down, Or Are Neighborhoods Emptying? « Crime Victims Media Report

[mjtinmemphis]

Originally Posted by SmartGXL

Here is a good sample of the violence taking place over just a few days of time here in Boystown/Lakeview over a five day period of time:

Boystown: RedEye 'Hoods - Multiple males attacked, robbed near Halsted

To quote from the article:

28-year-old male robbed outside bar
Aug. 8, 1 a.m.
A 28-year-old male was robbed at Halsted Street and Cornelia Avenue, according to reports. The man said he was standing outside a nearby bar having a cigarette when he was approached by an unknown male in his 30s. The offender reached in the man’s pockets, took his cell phone and credit card, and pushed the victim down. The alleged offender then fled westbound on Cornelia. No arrests.
Masked offender attacks 21-year-old male
Aug. 8, 11 p.m.
A 21-year-old male was robbed near the corner of Roscoe Street and Halsted Street, according to reports. An unknown offender wearing a black mask approached the man filing the report and demanded money. The alleged offender grabbed the wrist of the victim, who then pulled away. The offender fled. No arrests.
Intoxicated male robbed by four offenders
Aug. 11, 1 a.m.
A 22-year-old male was robbed by four unknown offenders near the corner of Halsted Street and Addison Street, according to reports. The man said he was intoxicated and approached by the offenders while he was walking down Halsted Street. The alleged offenders demanded that he give them all his in his wallet and go to an ATM to take out more. They threatened to beat him if he didn’t obey. The man filing the report did what they told him and gave them $500. The offenders quickly fled. No arrests.
22-year-old male attacked while walking with girlfriend
Aug. 12, 2:30 a.m.
A 22-year-old male was robbed and attacked near the corner of Sheffield Avenue and Newport Avenue, according to reports. The man said he was walking home with his girlfriend when he was approached by three unknown offenders. Those alleged offenders began to punch the man, and he eventually fell to the ground. The offenders went into the man’s pockets and stole $45. The man admitted that he and his girlfriend were drunk and refused medical attention. No arrests.
Male approached from behind and robbed
Aug. 13, 4 a.m.
A 22-year-old male was robbed near the corner of Belmont Avenue and Broadway, according to reports. The man said he was approached from behind and put in a choke-hold by an unknown offender. The alleged offender removed the man’s wallet and cell phone from his back pocket and fled. The man was escorted home by the police because he feared the offender was at his apartment. No arrests.

It makes me angry to read of people being robbed. At the same time something aint right with the story.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by SmartGXL

Yes, notice how they keep it ambivalent. They want to us to think it could have been anyone! "Yeah, those LP trixies, donning black ski masks and putting choke holds and robbing people!"

Actually, they made it pretty clear that it was young men committing the murders - not anyone. Not women, not middle aged men and not teenagers but men aged 21-28.

[sydbarrett]

Originally Posted by urza216

Actually, they made it pretty clear that it was young men committing the murders - not anyone. Not women, not middle aged men and not teenagers but men aged 21-28.

Huh?

What murders?

Are you dyslexic?

The story listed all of the victims being under the age of 29.

The story described the victims better than the offenders.