Beat Meeting-CAPS Beat 1224 2/1/2017
Happy New Year!!
Thank you for attending and being a part of the conversation about our community.
Thank you to restaurant and bar owners who were also present. Attending the Beat Meeting is a recommend part of the liquor license holder and shows the community, City of Chicago departments and the Policing District that you are willing to work with your neighbors to be good neighbors.
Welcome new faces and thank you to all the homeowners and/or business owners attending. We can only make things happen by working together, being proactive and having communication with each other.
We also thank our Beat Officers for attending… when you see them on the street say “Hello” now you know who is out there walking/driving and biking around our neighborhood protecting us and our valuables!
Announcements: Please see the attached seminars CPD and others are offering. Please share the information. These are all things that are worth your time.
New Business:
New Officer recruiting is underway CPD has over 900 new positions to fill. If there is anyone with any interest please reach out to Sgt Clas. Applications are still being accepted for August recruiting.
Progress on Previously Identified Problems: Community Concerns:
Skinner Park reported one of their concrete planters has been broken. Please note CPD has increased their patrolling by using the Community Policing Officers as well as the Foot and Beat patrol are aware of the problems and are keeping their eyes on the Park.
Homeless at “Real World” site (Randolph and Aberdeen) Police Officers have spoken with the subjects. Officers were made aware of the issues and are making more frequent stops at that location.
If you have noise issues please call 911 give the exact address of location of noise and you can contact the Dept of Environment at their Hot-Line phone #312-744-7606.
Auto break-ins are a continuing problem.
THE BIGGEST CRIME IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS THEFT FROM VEHICLE/AUTO….If you see people walking past cars and peering in please call 911 give a good description. Residents living in and guests visiting our neighborhood please note we are still seeing cars unlocked and/or locked with valuables in full view in front of coffee shops every morning. City wide problem!! Please remove your valuables from view when parked on all city streets and parking lots. Please work with your neighbors, fellow unit owners, friends and customers to keep their personal belongings out of view. CPD has special Officers working in this area. CPD is going to talk to business owners that use valet services to have the valet staff be more proactive with those that are parking their cars by asking the customer to remove valuables from back seat to trunk.
Check the website serving the city residents, Clearpath go to “www.chicagopolice.org” to stay in touch with what is happening in city. This will give you access to crimes, maps, pictures and other resident information and reporting.
Whether the building you live in does or does not have on-site security please remember security awareness, never let anyone follow you into your building that you do not know. Make sure your garage door closes and/or security fence closes completely when you leave your home/garage. Keep your building safe. A common thing that thieves/burglars do is to follow residents and or their guests in the building and through open garage doors.
If you see a pot hole, graffiti, tree down, rocks in the roadway, sidewalk(s) broken…. call 311. Make sure that you give exact addresses where problem is located. Names of the street and/or landmarks are not going to help the 311 staff. Remember to get the complaint number so you can follow-up with the issue.
For graffiti prevention there is a new paint that you can purchase at Home Depot or Ace called Graffiti Paint cost about $99. Per gallon. It is a clear paint that you apply to your walls that allows you to wipe them down with soap and water when graffiti happens.
If you see young people with backpacks in the early morning hours please call 911 and give a good description generally speaking these young people have spray paint cans and are putting their mark all around our neighborhood. Please be on the lookout for these “graffiti artists”! Look up…they are usually hanging from the edge of the buildings! Note the graffiti you see in our neighborhood is not gang signs.
Call 911 for crimes and quality of life issues (theft, robberies, assaults, bar noise/disturbance) a suspicious person(s). Note 911 calls are counted, records are kept and our Commander reviews the 911 calls. Please make sure you give exact address of the disturbance do not give only names or landmarks. Exact addresses where issue is happening is very beneficial to our officers responding.
Call 311 for overcrowding at bars please make sure to keep the complaint number and follow-up with it.
Please note that our Beat Officers are requesting when you call 911 to please leave a phone number in case they need more information when they are looking for or arresting someone or they are on the scene, in many cases they do need extra information or confirmation from the caller. Please do not be afraid to leave your name and contact number with the 911 Operator. Never report any fraudulent information as our Commander will check into any issues reported.
Please note advertising flyers are not to be posted on building or left on auto windshields. Please collect these fliers or cards, write the address location where you found them and bring them to the 12thDistrict Police Station (attn: Sgt. Becki Arguelles) or to the Beat Meetings. Sgt Becki will send letter(s), give warnings and/or fines can be levied at a cost of $100.00 per card found. So please turn in the cards you find.
Be a court advocate….the court system needs your help to support the victims of crimes. Let’s help each other to put the bad guys in jail.
In order to carry and conceal a weapon you must get state and city certification to do so.
Arrest Data and ICAM reports: 12/6/16-1/31/17
Calls for service please see the attached Beat Meeting Agenda and Top Ten Crimes graph
Note: Thefts very high due to more traffic in the area and visitors/tourists leaving items in their cars of the 87 thefts 41 are automobile related. Also packages are being stolen from building vestibules.
Deceptive Practice: Identity theft and bad credit cards
Battery: Most incidents are domestic related or after bars close.
Please keep your business doors locked and alarms on especially around Lake and Halsted we have had reported incidents of theft.
Arrest Data see attached Beat Meeting Agenda
Please note CPD will be using a new data base for 2017 which will give better breakdowns on crimes by blocks and hours of occurrence.
NEW PROBLEMS AND ISSUES:
CPD suggests stay alert, be aware of your surroundings, if you see something suspicious call 911 give good descriptions. CPD suggests practice describing people, height, shoes, jackets, hats, eyes, hair start from the feet up. CPD also mentioned the bad guys do not like to make eye contact so make sure you look at people in the eye as you pass.
Get to know your neighbors, open communications, start phone trees when things happen to keep each other informed. Business Owners work together with others in your area to communicate any information you may have about pick pockets, bike thieves, etc.
Become involved with your neighborhood join the Beat Meetings, make a difference and see changes happen. All concerns are our concerns! Together we can make a difference.
If you have a suggestion for a guest speaker please let me know! What do you want to know about in the city…how does it work???? Just ask let’s see what we can do.
CPD residents/citizens have been doing their part with follow through with regards to court proceedings. If you file a report regarding a crime you need to follow through with going to court. If you do not show up for court the judge throws the case out. So the Offender is back on the street doing the same bad things! Many offenders are repeats. Please make sure you get good descriptions and contact CPD immediately with the crime and description of the offender.
Next meeting is at 6pm Wednesday 4/5/17 at the Police Academy 1300 W Jackson-free parking in the west lot.
District email = caps012@chicagopolice.org
See attached for more contact information
Submitted by:
Patti Mocco Beat 1224 Facilitator-CPD-CAPS Program Volunteer
Neighbors of West Loop Board Member
West Loop Resident of 17 years.