I was up on my computer, finishing something before I went to bed, when my mother and I heard four gunshots, a pause, and then six more shots. We ran away from the window and called in the incident to 911. The scanner was then turned on, and as we tuned in, we heard a call of "Shots Fired" for George and Avers, where a disturbance was originally called in with three males throwing beer out of a car. I guess that escalated into them pulling out guns and shooting.
After those calls, that is when all of the action took place on Ridgeway. Quite a few calls came in from the block and at the intersection of George and Ridgeway, according to the 911 tapes I had ProdigalOne, a community activist and a co-author of this blog, pull. She noted that most of those calls report anywhere from four to 17 gunshots being heard at these locations. There were also reports of a sliver or gray Dodge Chrysler 300 involved, and one report had a man with a gun getting into that car.
I witnessed this car -- at first, I thought it was green, and that was a Nissan or Ford -- speeding south on Ridgeway, the wrong way, then turning down Diversey and heading towards Lawndale at a high rate of speed. CPD missed the car by 30 to 40 seconds. One of their squad cars slowly drove down the block, then patrolled a couple of more times before coding the calls.
This must be the 7th or 8th incident in a month, and yet the alderman's office, nor the CPD, have done a damn thing about it. I have done everything what I can do personally, and still nothing. I have gotten no plan of action from any elected officials or any CPD. My patience is running short with the city at this point. I feel like I'm being lied to, actually.
I don't ask for much, to any elected officials or CPD reading this. But I do ask that you respond in a PROACTIVE matter, not REACTIVE matter, to these string of incidents we have had on Ridgeway. I know, I know, the majority of our neighbors here could care less (and for that I am angry with them), but still, there are at least a few people here who cares what happens to them. I would like to know a plan of action both from the Chicago Police Department and Alderman Reboyras. What do you plan on doing to combat the crime on this street? Or are you going to wait for a murder to happen?
Having said that, I can't place all the blame on the CPD and the alderman. I also place blame on my apathetic neighbors. I feel that YOU are the reason why our street is the way it is. YOU don't call the police, YOU don't get involved, but yet you COMPLAIN when something happens, but you DO NOT want to be INVOLVED. The logic is messed up here, I think. What is the problem that YOU can't be bothered to be involved with the community?? Can you honestly not take 30 to 60 minutes out of your time once or twice a month to help fix this community? Is that asking too much? No, it is not. So really, there is no excuse for neighbors not being involved (unless, of course, you have to work long hours or what not). This is YOUR community as well as mine. Help kill the gang weed that we have growing right under our nose at an alarming rate, or otherwise it will grow out of control and we will not be able to stop it at that point.
The clock is ticking, people. We must do something about this. There are too many people are risk for us not to do something. Just think about it. We've got small children and toddlers that live on the block, as well as elderly citizens. What if one of them get gunned down innocently while on their porch or playing on the street?
Any comments, questions, or insights? Leave them here, on the FB page or in my inbox.
Update, 4/17/11, 1:13am: Here is a comment I forgot to put up about the shooting: "2:51a shots fired x2. Maybe 12? Someone was yelling. Car sped off,".
After those calls, that is when all of the action took place on Ridgeway. Quite a few calls came in from the block and at the intersection of George and Ridgeway, according to the 911 tapes I had ProdigalOne, a community activist and a co-author of this blog, pull. She noted that most of those calls report anywhere from four to 17 gunshots being heard at these locations. There were also reports of a sliver or gray Dodge Chrysler 300 involved, and one report had a man with a gun getting into that car.
I witnessed this car -- at first, I thought it was green, and that was a Nissan or Ford -- speeding south on Ridgeway, the wrong way, then turning down Diversey and heading towards Lawndale at a high rate of speed. CPD missed the car by 30 to 40 seconds. One of their squad cars slowly drove down the block, then patrolled a couple of more times before coding the calls.
This must be the 7th or 8th incident in a month, and yet the alderman's office, nor the CPD, have done a damn thing about it. I have done everything what I can do personally, and still nothing. I have gotten no plan of action from any elected officials or any CPD. My patience is running short with the city at this point. I feel like I'm being lied to, actually.
I don't ask for much, to any elected officials or CPD reading this. But I do ask that you respond in a PROACTIVE matter, not REACTIVE matter, to these string of incidents we have had on Ridgeway. I know, I know, the majority of our neighbors here could care less (and for that I am angry with them), but still, there are at least a few people here who cares what happens to them. I would like to know a plan of action both from the Chicago Police Department and Alderman Reboyras. What do you plan on doing to combat the crime on this street? Or are you going to wait for a murder to happen?
Having said that, I can't place all the blame on the CPD and the alderman. I also place blame on my apathetic neighbors. I feel that YOU are the reason why our street is the way it is. YOU don't call the police, YOU don't get involved, but yet you COMPLAIN when something happens, but you DO NOT want to be INVOLVED. The logic is messed up here, I think. What is the problem that YOU can't be bothered to be involved with the community?? Can you honestly not take 30 to 60 minutes out of your time once or twice a month to help fix this community? Is that asking too much? No, it is not. So really, there is no excuse for neighbors not being involved (unless, of course, you have to work long hours or what not). This is YOUR community as well as mine. Help kill the gang weed that we have growing right under our nose at an alarming rate, or otherwise it will grow out of control and we will not be able to stop it at that point.
The clock is ticking, people. We must do something about this. There are too many people are risk for us not to do something. Just think about it. We've got small children and toddlers that live on the block, as well as elderly citizens. What if one of them get gunned down innocently while on their porch or playing on the street?
Any comments, questions, or insights? Leave them here, on the FB page or in my inbox.
Update, 4/17/11, 1:13am: Here is a comment I forgot to put up about the shooting: "2:51a shots fired x2. Maybe 12? Someone was yelling. Car sped off,".
