CAPS and the Blue Box

The Blue Box took me to the CAPS meeting on Wednesday, August 7 for Police beats 1923, 1925 & 1934.  Before I get into my travel there, let me start by pulling a paragraph from the “What is CAPS?” page @ The Chicago Police Department's website.

“What makes CAPS innovative is that it brings the police, the community, and other City agencies together to identify and solve neighborhood crime problems, rather than simply react to their symptoms after the fact.

Problem solving at the neighborhood level is supported by a variety of strategies, including neighborhood-based beat officers; regular Beat Community Meetings involving police and residents; extensive training for both police and community; more efficient use of City services that impact crime; and new technology to help police and residents target crime hot spots.”

With the meetings I attended over the last four (4) years in relation to beat 1925, the following have already been accomplished:

"To identify and solve neighborhood crime problems, rather than simply react to their symptoms after the fact.”

I think many will agree that we have identified immediate issues we want solved (the rampant crime that has befallen these beats (specifically Boystown, Wrigleyville) and in LakeView itself.

“New technology to help police and residents target crime hotspots.”

Hotspots have been targeted: literally, using this “crime heat map” (link: http://www.stodgyclothes.com/blog/?p=2931).

No amount of “street smarts — putting your cellphone in your pocket, looking over your shoulder (aka being aware of your surroundings)" — will solve any of this. The addition of more police officers in this area is ESSENTIAL. It’s also important that robbers, thugs …  whatever you want to call them, get THE message: YOU ARE NOT WANTED HERE. GET THE HE** OUT. How that will happen, I do not know yet, but it’s something we need to discuss soon.

My random notes from the meeting (in no particular order):

START OF CAPS MEETINGS

Why do these meetings always start late? The residents are always on time, more or less. The hosts should always be ready to go no more than 5 minutes after the hour.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS, OR FAILURE
…depends on how you look at it, I suppose.

We had two Aldermen with us: Alderman Cappleman, sported slacks, a white button-down shirt and a blazer. Then there was Alderman Tunney.

A description of what he wore was best described in a message posting I read, “He looked like he was just released from the hospital, still slightly medicated from some procedure and eating popcorn.”

I’m not a host on the TV show, “Fashion Police” or “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” HOWEVER: when you know you are going to be under fire in a major community meeting, respect your constituents and dress appropriately. A t-shirt and shorts is NOT acceptable. You’re not at a picnic. You’re attending an important meeting of your job. Speaking personally (and maybe for the majority), I would have been happy with a button-down, short-sleeve shirt. You, Alderman Tunney, were too casual.

STATS, STATS and MORE STATS

Can we really… just STOP … reading the line item stats, item by item? We all can read; we can comprehend what the numbers represent. If anything, explain what the categories are.

If you want the numbers to mean anything, change your format of the report. Show us:

Current month, Last month, Last year, same month and Year-to-date. Show what the temperatures were for the month.

The District Commander, Elias Voulgaris, tried his best use straight talk — not sugar coat anything and wanted the meeting to be constructive.

My observation was this meeting was not going to go as easily as he had hoped. When given a chance, many people stood up and demanded answers on the statistics we saw in the neighborhood newspaper (Inside-Booster) that and reported the nightly robberies, strong-arm  beatings, general chaos at the Belmont train station and a gag order in place so local newspapers can’t report on crime in the area (which by the way, are from the Chicago Police Department).

Sadly, rather than just own up to many of these inquiries – he went on some strange statistical tangent (basically comparing “apples to oranges”, but would not acknowledge his own District’s stats generated from the CPD website.

Case in point, one person asked a simple, straight-forward question: When District 19 and 23 merged, how many police officers did we lose? Rather than directly answer with the number, Voulgaris once again went on his strange statistic tangent.

But god bless him, he did mention he’d love to stop everyone [who he thought are troublemakers], but he can’t. He did own up to one thing: They have to work to police the area. He did mention that next Tuesday, August 13, we should see more police officers on the street. We’ll be watching, District Commander Voulgaris.

LET'S TALK SOME RESPONSIBILITY

Lots of different questions — too many to go through, but time to talk about responsibility.

Not about arresting people, but companies and organizations. One topic that is important to the residents is the ongoing saga of The Crib (see previous blog entry). It came down to the wire with Alderman Tunney. People basically wanted to know: when is enough … enough? How long do we keep “working on a problem” (for the record, it’s been a problem for about 1–1.5 years) before we look at the situation and say, “OK. This isn’t working. We need to defund and close down the program.” When the question came on the official way to defund  a program … you could hear crickets … there was an uncomfortable pause before the Aldermen spoke.

I sworn I heard wavering in Tunney’s voice. I’m sure they both were not prepared for THAT question. But the short answer: Jumping through many hoops in City Council can defund a program, but it can be done.

There was some back and forth on this topic, and the resident (who brought up the topic) basically stressed that, if community demands were not met within a timely manner, then it’s time for a change of leadership within the Ward. You guessed it – applause from the crowd.

Needless to say, Alderman Tunney was not pleased.

PUSHING BUTTONS?

Toward the end of our meeting, there was one man who was taunting, heckled and “pushed” Alderman Tunney’s buttons all night. Granted,  the jester probably shouldn’t have done what he did – basically calling  the Alderman a liar and making random outbursts, but I think he  verbalized what the majority of people were thinking, so I don’t hold that TOO much against him.

At this point in the evening, Alderman Tunney got fed up, jumped while pointing his finger and screamed, “Shut Up! Shut Up!” and started out on a tear arguing for at least a minute while everyone is the gasped at their heated exchange.

But that’s as far as I can report, because I had enough. I got up and left. The Alderman has a history of blowing up in front of his constituents when his back is against the wall. There are ways to deal with these situations, but to verbally explode is not one of them.

THE MAD MAN'S SUMMARY

The District Commander needs to deliver on his promise of more foot patrols on the street starting Tuesday, August 13.

It’s evident that Alderman Tunney needs to step aside as he’s in over his head. He should bow out gracefully at the next election and return to running his Ann Sather restaurants.

Businesses, charities and city services that provide funding to community programs need to be held responsible.

For example: If you have 60 people in your parking lot at 2 a.m., and even though it’s private property, the business must call the police and FILE A COMPLAINT so something can be done.

If there is a very simple list of requests for a shelter to make it safer for their neighbors, get it done and MAKE THEM. Those organizations shouldn’t then be surprised when letters arrive from the City of Chicago stating their program has been defunded because the simple list of requests were not made.

Residents need to empower yourselves. Don’t walk around like nothing is wrong; BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS. Put your iPhone in your pocket. Sign police complaints to have perpetrators arrested should you be involved in a robbery, mugging … or worse.

Publicly-funded social agencies must take responsibility for their clients they are serving. Only their clients know for sure if they are out late at night, being part of the problem. 

If they’re not part of the problem, then they should be part of the solution and talk to their peers.

To anyone who may take offense to my blog entry, it’s what I know, it’s what I saw, heard at the meeting, and see on the street. 

Until next time...see you in the vortex!