Saturday, November 7, 2009
Gang tagging in Edgewater Beach?
A local resident reports "At approximately 7PM on November 4th, I witnessed a man writing on the wall of the laundromat on the corner of Berwyn and Winthrop. He wrote in multiple places "B-W, ALKQN, Chief" then drew a picture of a crown. My understanding is that this is a mark left by the Latin King and Queen Nation. I reported this graffiti to 311 and emailed the Alderman's office."
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13 comments:
Folks, report this type of stuff IMMEDIATELY and keep calling 311 until it is cleaned up. This is serious stuff. It is a serious sign that gangs are infiltrating North from Uptown into Edgewater. Now that Pause has closed, this block has become more attractive for expanded gang territory.
They might be able to get away with getting a foothold down in Helen Shiller's Ward because she does little to nothing about working with the community and landlords, but we simply cannot allow the gang violence to take over our blocks up here as well.
To the person that witnesses this in progress, you should have FIRST called 911. This is a crime to deface property and furthermore was almost certainly a gang member based on the tagging you described. If I see what appears to be a drug transaction in an alley or people that clearly have no business in this area walking up to parked cars and peering into the windows, I call 911 immediately. Even if I'm not 100% sure criminal activity is taking place or about to take place, I do it. Better safe than sorry.
If you see it in progress you need to call 911! I reported tagging the other day and the police were immediately out and had the 2 guys that were tagging. Be proactive not reactive.
If you see if after the fact, 311 is who you should call to report it. If it's reported it seems to get cleaned up decently fast, so yes keep calling!
Tales of the Mule!
Also there is heroin and crack dealing at a certain building on 5200 Winthrop 9across from my house) watch for a red/burgundy car, it comes all day. One of the buyers is Blackie who was rescued from lower Wacker Drive homeless and its called the Streets to Home program or something like that.
"Up here as well"?
You walked down Thorndale lately? The bad guys own it.
Saw some new, to me, Latin King graffiti on a brick apt building on the NE corner of Glenwood and Berwyn. Reported it to 311.
It's getting bad. Looking to buy a condo on Hollywood between Ridge and Clark; had nearly decided to plunk down my money when I saw the Latin Kings' tagging on the garage. Freshly done. I'm outta here! This neighborhood just lost a professional couple in the arts who just wanted to stay in the community they've rented in for 3 decades!
Wow, it's a shame to see people who've lived here for 30 years leaving because of some gang tagging! I speak from six years of experience living in Uptown (recently moved to A'ville)--a neighborhood isn't uninhabitable because of gang grafitti. If you felt safe here for the past 30 years, I think you should consider staying. Lots of neighborhoods on the North Side deal with this kind of grafitti and are great places to live. It is the city, after all.
--JSB
This neighborhood just lost a professional couple in the arts who just wanted to stay in the community they've rented in for 3 decades!
Really? If you've REALLY been here for 30 years there there's NO WAY this is the first time you've seen gang graffiti in this area. Seriously? How about just picking up the phone and dialing 311 and telling them to come clean it up or make the owner clean it up. I've done it a few times (most recently for some pink (!) gang graffiti on the sidewalk at Sheridan and Catalpa. It was gone within a day. Problem solved. Even if you didn't see graffiti taggers there have been gangs here. Leaving is your decision, of course, you're already lived in a "gang" neighborhood for 30 years.
Things that don't trouble you when you rent become real issues when you are a prudent buyer.
I have rented in the south end of Rogers Park for nearly 10 years. I like living close to Pratt & Sheridan, but when I consider plunking down money for a permanent staking and committing to something where I will have to worry about whether I can sell and how much money I stand to lose, well, the neighborhood starts to look different.
Gang graffiti doesn't bother a renter as much because she figures she can jump ship if things get too rough. But if you buy, you are most likely stuck for quite a while, and the consideration alters your view of a neighborhood with visible signs of gang activity.
Oh good lord you people are naive - every, I mean EVERY, neighborhood in this city and inner burbs is gang territory (specifically one gang or anothers territory) even if there is no crime. It was that way 25 years ago and will be that way for the next 25 years.
I wonder where the "artsy professional" couple will go? Bucktown? Logan Square? Or more likely Lincoln Park or some 'gang-free' area....
That corner has been LK turf for at least 30 years, so I don't think that you can pin that on Shiller. And let's not forget the legendary TJOs!
Helen Shiller is not 48th Ward Alderman, FGFM.
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