This month, residents of Ravenswood Manor reported a surge in violent crime. As your state representative, I take safety seriously and consider it a top priority for our community and our families.
To address this issue, my office has worked diligently with fellow state legislators and aldermen to bring this issue to the attention of Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and request resources. In a letter to Mayor Lightfoot’s office, we made note of the impact that the spike in such violence has had on threatening people’s safety and asked for the immediate deployment of specialized/tactical gang units to address the issue, installation of cameras and “shot spotter” technology, increased staffing for the 17th district, and increased “trouble building” enforcement in the area.
Mayor Lightfoot responded to our letter with an outline of steps her office took to address the concerns. Included in the mayor’s response was sending a 17th District tactical team back to the district after a temporary deployment, reallocating additional officers to the area through the Gang Investigations and Narcotics Team with increased resources until the conflicts are resolved, and personally engaging individuals involved in gang conflicts through custom notifications. Additional CPD presence was attended to the area during critical hours. Futher prevention measures being discussed for the future include the addition of cameras in strategic locations, collaboration with the Alliance of Local Service Organization to assist with de-escalation of gang-related conflicts, and assistance from the Chicago Housing Authority and the Department of Buildings to address issues with particularly troubled buildings.
As we continue to support Ravenswood Manor in ensuring the safety of residents, please do not hesitate to contact my office at any time. I am here to listen, discuss, and act on behalf of the neighborhood. #OneCityOneCommunity