Edgewater/Andersonville - Tap Into Your Community

• Scottchasen

  heard the shots on Sheridan, about 6 of them

• Kris Klimek

  Sadly, after decades in this city, I now know what gunshots sound like. I heard 5-6 shots last night at about 11:10. At first, I wondered if they might be left over fireworks but after going out on our balcony and seeing the undercover cops, a firetruck and CPD racing down Broadway to Glenlake, I knew they weren’t fireworks. Positive loitering is a

• Mlanders7

  Can someone tell me why people along Granville from Sheridan to Broadway, keep supporting the

  • Kris Klimek

    Mike,
    I totally agree with you. What needs to change are the panhandling and loitering laws. They simply benefit the lowlifes and criminals. We just put a bandaid on the problem instead of doing something to change the behavior and doing what we need to do to make our neighborhood safe. I’m not very encouraged right now because I am NOT seeing

• https://plus.google.com/u/1/109437885410357612653/posts Rach

  Please come out and join the

  • Kris Klimek

    Like I’ve said before, I applaud the Positive Loitering efforts BUT, this is simply a bandaid for a much larger problem. Gathering once a week maybe twice a week for an hour or two is a grand

    • https://plus.google.com/u/1/109437885410357612653/posts Rach

      The more people that we can get to participate, the more nights we can do it.

      In areas that have been designated as hotspots, people can be arrested if the cops have contact with them twice in (i believe it is a 24 hour period) which is what the 1100 block of Thorndale is. So Positive Loitering works with the cops to help spot these groups and report them to the cops. Yes it isn’t a perfect solution, but it is better then doing nothing.

      • Kris Klimek

        Rach,
        I agree, it is better than doing nothing. There’s no debate there. However,

        • https://plus.google.com/u/1/109437885410357612653/posts Rach

          The laws do need to change, but that is not going to happen without getting people to take actions in the first place. One of the things that Positive Loitering does is call the cops on the people who are doing the loitering, the first step to making the

  • Kris Klimek

    Like I’ve said before, I applaud the Positive Loitering efforts BUT, this is simply a bandaid for a much larger problem. Gathering once a week maybe twice a week for an hour or two is a grand

• Meredith

  If you think positive loitering doesn’t do any good or is a “band aid”, then you haven’t done it.

  • Kris Klimek

    Meredith,
    I NEVER said it didn’t work, I said it’s a bandaid for a much larger problem. I also said “I applaud the Positive Loitering efforts”. What part of that didn’t you understand? I have done positive loitering, not this year though. I have attended a couple caps meetings as well. I walk Thorndale and have even talked with the thugs. What I would like to see is a long range plan to get these thugs out of the neighborhood, not lip service. What I would like to see is some of the promises made during the last election implemented, like changing the loitering laws. I volunteered and worked pretty hard to get our Alderman elected. Now I want to see action on cleaning up the community from these thugs. Again, positive loitering is for an hour or two, what happens after that?

  • Timothy Fitz

    Meredith, last night, there was another shooting in Uptown. On a daily basis, there are constant police calls regarding gang activity and drug activity – even after a highly publicized drug raid. What is your definition of better, as it refers to Uptown?

    • https://plus.google.com/u/1/109437885410357612653/posts Rach

      The shooting last night wasn’t in the same police district or even in the 48th Ward. One group that is trying to fix a problem with one very specific street cannot fix the problems of the north side of Chicago.

      • Timothy Fitz

        Rach, I wasn’t talking to you. I was addressing Meredith’s comments that Uptown is “better”.

        • https://plus.google.com/u/1/109437885410357612653/posts Rach

          This a group forum and it isn’t a private conversation.

        • Timothy Fitz

          I am simply pointing out that I am not talking to you.

• Meredith

  If you think positive loitering doesn’t do any good or is a “band aid”, then you haven’t done it.

• https://plus.google.com/u/1/109437885410357612653/posts Rach

  The 24th

• http://twitter.com/KevinBoyer Kevin Boyer

  Kris – You keep saying positive loitering is good but you keep saying it’s a bandaid, does little for long term problems, etc. etc. Here’s what I think. Positive loitering is a way for people in our neighborhood to do something proactive that has a real impact, even if it’s only for one hour a week. It sets a tone for the neighborhood, makes a declaration to criminal elements about what we will and will not accept, lets the police and alderman know we’re serious about being involved, gives us a chance to exchange information, brings neighbors together so we watch out more for each other and other good stuff. These all feel like long-term benefits to me. Of course they aren’t the same as posting a cop on every street corner 24/7, or adding in more cameras, or working to close down junky businesses and bring in better businesses. But positive loitering to me feels like one of those “canary in the mine” type activities; the kind of thing that telegraphs a lot of good things about the future. Everyday Joes and Janes can do this. They can of course do other things, but this is easy, has positive impacts, and feels safe because of the large group. So my suggestion is instead of saying “positive loitering is a band aid, we should do more.” How about saying “everyone should do things like positive loitering because it’s a great short term solution and long term sign of support. Stop. New thought. And I have the following other ideas as well and here they are.” I think you’d find less defensiveness about positive loitering and more collaboration from people on some other ideas if you spent a little less negative energy on the one thing that people ARE doing and that makes us feel like we’re having an impact.

• Nick

  positive loitering until 9:00 is worthless. It is posturing at best.

  • https://plus.google.com/u/1/109437885410357612653/posts Rach

    Actually, every week that I have done it there has been several groups that our PL group has broken up by simply walking around.

• James

  Well we can all thank Harry Osterman for the “fine” protection.

• Guest

  I can’t seem to find it now, but he wrote a letter how they are going to put police around the Thorndale area and have

  • https://plus.google.com/u/1/109437885410357612653/posts Rach

    You might want to check out the ward Website. I have the email, but I wouldn’t want to post it here without