Ukrainian Village residents scared and frustrated by crime; some want old police district reopened

By DANA KOZLOV

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — Chicago street violence prompted a Northwest Side alderman to call a public safety meeting Tuesday night.

Some residents say one solution would be reopening a closed police district. Meanwhile, as CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov reported, one high-ranking Chicago Police Department member almost refused to take part – causing a delay to the start of the forum.

The forum was held by the office of Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) at the Ukrainian Cultural Center, 2247 W. Chicago Ave. Those who eventually took part did not hold back.

“We’re getting terrorized right now,” a man said. “It’s that simple.”

“I’ve never been afraid to live here – and now I am,” a woman added.

Fear and frustration over rising crime in Ukrainian Village was clearly apparent at the forum.

“I never see a police officer unless it’s after a crime is committed,” another woman said at the forum. “Never. Never.”

Many people who attended the forum live in the Near West (12th) police district – bounded by Division Street on the north, Cermak Road and the South Branch of the Chicago River on the south, the North Branch of the Chicago River and the Kennedy and Dan Ryan expressways on the east, and Kedzie and Western avenues on the west.

Police confirm the district is seeing an uptick in robberies, carjackings, and thefts.

“The community is scared,” said Ald. Villegas, “and so what I wanted to do is bring this meeting together.”

But before the forum even began, there was a hitch. Near West District Cmdr. Beth Giltmier initially refused to take part in the forum if we, or any news media, were there.

Kozlov: “The fact that the commander of the district came in and then walked out because we were here – I mean, does that upset you?”

Villegas: “We’re going to find out what the issue is, and maybe have to call to the superintendent’s office to figure out, what can we do here?”

Giltmier eventually walked in – alongside Deputy Chief Gabriella Shemash, who later told the crowd police have assigned special teams to try to crack down on crime.

But talk isn’t good enough for many. Neighbors are also signing petitions – demanding the shuttered Wood (13th) District station in Ukrainian Village be reopened.

The Wood (13th) District used to span the section of the present-day Near West District north of Madison Street, while the old 12th District – formerly called the Monroe District – was only south of Madison Street. Mayor Rahm Emanuel closed the Wood District station a decade ago and combined the two districts.

The old Wood District station, 937 N. Wood St., is now used as the Cook County Sheriff’s Office Central Warrant Unit Headquarters. The current Near West District station is located at 1412 S. Blue Island Ave. – miles from Ukrainian Village.

“We feel very strongly this station should be opened back up again,” said Kimberly Shannon of the Ukrainian Village Neighborhood Association. “We feel like the 12th District – which we’re a part of – is just too far away, and we’re just not seeing the presence.”

The forum came one day after Mayor Brandon Johnson formally introduced Chicago Police Chief Larry Snelling as his choice to be the next superintendent. Snelling talked a lot about getting communities involved.

“The Police Department and our community members are not two separate institutions – because they can’t be,” Snelling said Monday.

“He seems to have the respect of his colleagues and his workforce, and so we wish him the best,” Shannon said. “We hope there is change.”

It will be interesting to hear if Chief Snelling – if confirmed – backs the idea of reopening the Wood (13th) District. Mayor Johnson has given no indication he plans to do so.

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