Former CPD Commander Demoted, Sent To Rogers Park As Punishment

Former Cmdr. Ronald Kimble. Chicago Police Dept

Former Commander of Narcotics Ronald Kimble upset Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot recently and is being punished for not keeping his thoughts to himself. 

"A Chicago Police Department commander this week was reminded of a very important rule: Never get on the mayor’s bad side," reports CWB Chicago. "CPD is famous — or perhaps infamous — for giving 'soft landings' to connected leaders who go astray. Assigning the wayward executive to a do-nothing placeholder post is common."

Not so for Ronald Kimble. He's no longer a Commander. Demoted to lieutenant, they move him to the midnight shift. The demotion is bad enough, but the shift change isn't the end of the world. Unless you live 23 miles away. You see, Kimble resides on the Far South Side of Chicago. His midnight gig is in the 24th District in Rogers Park. CWB Chicago quotes an unnamed CPD source as noting that Kimble now has a 23-mile daily commute. Rogers Park is along Lake Michigan and borders Evanston.

But why, exactly, did this happen? Let's go back to CWB Chicago:

The source said Kimble was one of 21 police department executives who joined a conference call Monday with Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Manpower at CPD’s Organized Crime Division, which includes Kimble’s former narcotics unit, is being slashed from over 900 cops to 187.  

Kimble, the source said, went to bat for his unit, defending his performance and trying to justify runaway overtime expenses.

“He called her out,” the source said. “She launched him across the city.”

“He kept trying to tell everyone what narcotics had done,” according to the source. “It started getting loud.” Newly-appointed Police Supt. David Brown, who was on the call, “told him to shut up. It got out of hand.”

In short, Mayor Lightfoot is budget-cutting and feels the CPD can do with 713 fewer narcotics officers. That's a huge hit, and Kimble — the Commander of Narcotics — defended his unit's operations and spending.

But Lightfoot was having none of it. Exactly what Kimble said is unknown, but it sounds as though tempers flared and, as Brown said, "it got out of hand."

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announces the firing Dec. 2, 2019
of Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson.
(Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Kimble was not the only one to suffer. Kimble's supervisor, William Bradley, was removed as Deputy Chief of the new Criminal Networks Group, according to department sources, says the Chicago Sun-Times.

Bradley was also demoted to the rank of lieutenant, and assigned to a patrol district on Chicago's Northwest side, sources said.

“We can’t keep living in a world where the police department blows its overtime budget year in and year out by $100 million,” the mayor said last month.

Also See: Lightfoot Fires Top Cop Eddie Johnson for ‘Intolerable Actions’ - WTTW

Police Scanner Soundbites, 24th District, Chicago

JUNE 1, 2009 - 24TH DISTRICT, CHICAGO JUST ANOTHER DAY The raw notes, taken in real time: 6130 N. Claremont 2:03 PM - Female Officer - "6130 on Claremont, ASSIST!" Dispatcher starts help rolling toward her to assist. 2:05 - Female "STEP IT UP! STEP IT UP!" 2:06 - Male officer, "Slow it down" 2:06 - Dispatch "Offender in custody" 2:06 - Male, "Get an ambulance rolling toward Claremont" 2:08 - Male, "No more units needed here" Dispatcher, "Ambulance is rolling" 2:08 - Male, "We need a wagon and leg irons over here" 2:10 - Dispatcher asks a unit to look for a black man who is scamming businesses on W. Howard. Unit comes back and says he's trying to disperse a crowd at "1500-1600" W. Howard. He added, "It's a warm day and it's pretty busy up here." 2:11 PM Dispatch says "Male white, light colored shirt, balding on the top, gray van, 65 yrs of age, last seen eastbound on Farwell. He's asking women if they need a ride." Gray minivan, license plate starts with 231." 2:12 PM Suspicious auto with occupants, Farwell at Lakewood. 2:12 PM - 2808 W. Touhy - Sex offense in progress... Now walking southbound on California... 2:17 PM - Officer radios, "...at 6180 N. Claremont , one officer going to hospital, some officers going to station with offender" RELATED: Rogers Park Resident Calls CAPS "Silly" Leave a Comment Here... See our cool merchandise... Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Hey! ChiNewsBench is on Twitter

Violent Crime Skyrockets in Rogers Park

UPDATE 5/21/09: The Real Straight Dope - Rogers Park More Dangerous Than Admitted ---------------------------- Come on up to Rogers Park, enjoy some theater on the violent Morse Avenue. Perhaps you'd like some Jamaican food on the even more violent Howard Street. Take a walk along the drug infested, alcohol soaked Loyola Beach. Visit the office of 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore, located in a strip mall (just two blocks from his home) at W. Jarvis and N. Greenview, an intersection that sees more than its share of murders, prostitution and armed robberies. Come on up to Rogers Park. Wear a Kevlar vest if you have one, and don't forget your pepper spray.

Alderman Moore is infamous for frequently saying that "crime is down" year after year in spite of numbers that said otherwise. So, it was a surprise to see today's email blast to constituents.


Moore tried to soften the bad news by first telling us that "total index crime in the 24th Police District fell 1.3% in 2008 as compared to 2007." (We're not sure why, by the way, Moore did not send this email blast weeks ago; the statistics were reported publicly in mid-January.)

Although that is true, it is misleading and Moore knows it. The 24th District is much larger than the 49th Ward and includes Edgewater and West Ridge, as shown in the map found at the 24th District's website. (That website, by the way, still shows Steve Caluris as the Commander, even though he was replaced by David Sobczyk back in November, 2008.)

Rogers Park crime is extremely high by national standards. Violent crime near N. Sheridan and W. Jarvis, spitting distance from Ald. Moore's own home, is more than 10 times the national median and more than four times the Chicago median; violent crime per 1,000 residents is 55, compared to 12 per 1,000 for Chicago overall and 5.7 per 1,000 for Illinois (source: neighborhoodscout.com).

Moore ended his email today with this pie-in-the-sky statement: "Together, we will make the 49th Ward the safest ward in the city!" As the numbers above show, that isn't saying much. Perhaps Ald. Moore should tape this list to a wall in his ward service office:

THE NINE DANGER SIGNS OF ORGANIZED CRIME (List source: chicagocrimcommission.org) Social acceptance of hoodlums in decent society Your community’s indifference to ineffective local government Notorious mobster personalities in open control of businesses Deceptive handling of public funds Interest at very high rates to poor risk borrowers (the juice loan) Close association of mobsters and local authorities Arson and bombings Terrorized legitimate businesses Easily found gambling, narcotics and prostitution

Moore provided no links to the report in today's email blast, so we will. You can see the "Index Crime January-December 2008" report at this link; more reports are at this link.

We've added links to related news stories, which you can find after the full text of Moore's Feb. 5 email: 


Statistics Reveal Mixed Results on Crime

Dear Neighbor, The Chicago Police Department released its 2008 crime statistics, and it's a mixed bag for our neighborhood. The good news is that total index crime in the 24th Police District fell 1.3% in 2008 as compared to 2007. 


The 24th District was one of only four police districts in the city that experienced an overall reduction in index crime. Citywide, index crime was up 2.5%. Index crimes include violent crimes, such as murder, sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault and aggravated battery, and serious property crimes, such as burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson. The 2008 drop in overall crime continues a trend that began in our neighborhood in the mid-1990s with the introduction of community policing. 


Since 1994, index crime in the 24th District has fallen by over 50%. The news is not all good, however. The statistics reveal an increase in violent index crime in the 24th District, mostly due to a sharp increase in robberies in the Howard Street area. 


The 24th District saw a 13.9% increase in violent index crime, including a 28.4% increase in robberies. This spike in robberies and other violent crime led 24th District Police Commander David Sobczyk to launch his Howard Street anti-crime initiative, which includes an increased police presence and zero tolerance strategy in the Howard Street area. Commander Sobczyk just started his new job in January, and is determined to bring down the violent crime levels in our neighborhood. Making our neighborhood safe is not just a police responsibility--it's everyone's responsibility. 


The safest neighborhoods are the neighborhoods where the residents get involved. I urge you to join the hundreds of community residents who attend CAPS meetings and who vigilantly report any incidents of crime and suspicious behavior. Neighborhood safety is truly a team effort, and the 49th Ward boasts the most active and committed citizenry of any ward in the city. 


If you haven't yet done so, I urge you to become involved with CAPS , Chicago's community policing effort. Citizens meet with the police officers who patrol their neighborhood every month in each of the nine police beats in the 24th District. Together, the police and citizens identify neighborhood hotspots and develop crime reduction strategies. 


Together, we will make the 49th Ward the safest ward in the city! 


 Sincerely, Joe Moore 


Related:

• Armed Robbery Near 49th Ward Service Office Chicago crime jumps in 2008; murders spike - Southtown Star 
• Aldermen bemoan crime, but give Weis a pass - Chicago Breaking News 
• Local carnage covered up by Wall Street woes - Chicago Tribune 
• 2008 saw increased violence in Chicago, statistics show ... 
• 2008 Murder Rates: Improving Despite Tough Times 
• Chicago Murder Rate Up 18% - despite the Handgun Ban ...

Rogers Park Resident Calls CAPS "Silly"

"Sarah" lives in Rogers Park, and recently said I was "silly" for my rants about the higher-than-it-should-be crime in that Chicago neighborhood. Read the flyer from CAPS Beat 2431 here (click to enlarge it). What Sarah does not seem to realize is that if I am silly for being concerned about shootings, armed robbery, assaults, and heavy drug trafficking on Morse Avenue and Howard Street, then so are many Rogers Park residents - including the folks who run and participate in all the 24th District CAPS groups. Here's what Sarah wrote on May 23: "i [sic] don't have a dog and have never worried about my safety after dark in rogers [sic] park [sic] and take public transportation everywhere. I have run into you in the park right by my house after dark and you never were walking a dog either and were usually alone. as [sic] in any nieghborhood in any city, you always want to be aware of your surroundings. i [sic] don't know where your neighborhood angst has come from but it is just silly." See, Sarah, here's the deal. The flyer shown here is a typical one for Beat 2431, in which I lived for 10 years. It's typical of the other CAPS groups, too. Every other month, their flyers say something like "Make Morse Safer" or "Help Reduce Crime" or "Tell Us About Trouble Spots." Sarah, if Morse was already safe, it would not need to be made "safer." If there was no crime in the hood, there would be no need to reduce it. If there were no trouble spots, there would be no need to point them out to the police. The police encourage the CAPS meetings, at which crime in Rogers Park is discussed. Now, Sarah, are the police and the CAPS facilitators and the concerned citizens who attend the CAPS meetings all "silly?" Do you wonder where their "neighborhood angst" comes from, Sarah? I'll tell you, Sarah. It comes from an awareness of the shit that's going down around them everyday in Rogers Park and the 49th Ward, with makes up nearly half of the 24th District, which is the only Level Two district in Area Three. In short, Sarah, we who do not have our heads in the sand are the ones who are concerned about crime. Folks who go to work outside of the hood, come back to their newly acquired, now-hard-to-sell condos, then go straight to a swanky nightclub only to stagger back to their newly acquired, now-hard-to-sell condos, can easily miss the shitstorm of criminal activity around them. They can easily miss it - or willfully ignore it because they are afraid to see it. As for walking in the park after dark, Sarah, how often do you do it alone after 1:00 a.m., far away from your recently acquired beachfront condo? RELATED: The Real Straight Dope - Rogers Park More Dangerous Than Admitted Leave a Comment Here... See our cool merchandise... Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Hey! ChiNewsBench is on Twitter

The Real Straight Dope - Rogers Park More Dangerous Than Admitted

Cecil Adams, the genius behind "The Straight Dope," asks the innocent question, "Is Rogers Park really as dangerous as people say?" in a post with that title. He does so today, May 21, and his answer is pretty good - for somebody who really doesn't know Rogers Park. He quotes Chicago News Bench and others, has a few pretty bar charts, and generally analyzes the crime statistics well. As I said, however, he doesn' t really know Rogers Park, and his analysis is about as useful as an analysis of Mayan culture. You can read all about it, but unless you've lived it, you can never really know it. I just spent 10 years in Rogers Park; I left it last October and still stay in touch from nearby, in my secret bunker. As far as I know, and as far as his post indicates, Cecil Adams has not live in Rogers Park. Cecil starts with a letter from a worried reader: "After weeks of weighing options in the search for an ideal apartment .... I've come to the conclusion that the best place would be Rogers Park. Yes, I'm having a hard time hearing myself say it. .... Everything seems fine about it ... except the reputation of the neighborhood. Is it still as bad as it used to be?" No, and yes. Rogers Park is not "as bad as it used to be." Then again, it's not as good as it used to be, either. Once upon a long lost era, Rogers Park was a largely Jewish neighborhood, a place where you could grab a kosher corned beef sandwich on Morse Avenue on your way to a jazz club north on Howard Street. That was until the 1970's, when the complexion of the neighborhood started to change. White flight occurred, crime skyrocketed, temples closed, delis and jazz clubs shuttered themselves forever, and the place went to hell for a while. Today, Rogers Park is on a slightly better rung of Hell, but portions of it, and aspects of it, are still hellish. About 10-12 years ago, a push was started to clean the place up. This push was done largely by private interests. Landlords installed better lighting and were more vigilant about who was loitering or trespassing - or selling drugs or sex services out of their buildings. The police helped some, 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore pretended to care, and things have gotten a bit better since the late 1990s. However, saying that "things are better" in Rogers Park is a bit like saying that a cancer patient "is better" after a few tumors have been removed from his tumor-infested body. It may be technically and literally true, but the patient is still very ill. Cecil's analysis of the crime stats misses an important point: The Chicago Police Department fudges the numbers. I need only cite one example to demonstrate this. About two years ago, a man was beaten to death at the corner of N. Greenview and W. Morse. He was savagely attacked by a group of several teenagers. He was killed by their intentional action. Yet, the police categorized that as "homicide," not "murder." That helped keep the murder rate officially lower than it should have been reported. Rogers Park crime is extremely high by national standards. Violent crime near N. Sheridan and W. Jarvis, spitting distance from Ald. Moore's own home, is more than 10 times the national median and more than four times the Chicago median; violent crime per 1,000 residents is 55, compared to 12 per 1,000 for Chicago overall and 5.7 per 1,000 for Illinois (source: neighborhoodscout.com). Cecil writes that criticism of neighborhoods can be exaggerated, including criticism of Rogers Park crime. He said that "(1) yes, these communities are more dangerous than some parts of town, but (2) in the grand scheme, whatever the excitable element may think, things really aren't that bad." This is dangerous thinking, and doesn't mention the fact that Rogers Park makes up nearly half of the 24th Police District, one of the most dangerous in the entire city. As I wrote on May 7, the 24th District is more violent that the neighboring 23rd (which includes Uptown). Chicago has two levels (Level One and Level Two) with which it categorizes polices district violence. Level Two is considered more violent than Level One. Both the 23rd and 24th districts are within Area Three. The 23rd District is a Level One. The 24th District is the only Level Two in Area Three. Most of the rest of the city is Level One. The Level One and Level Two designations determine how police manpower is concentrated and deployed to "where there is the greatest probability of violent crimes." For people to hide their heads in the sand and say that "things really aren't that bad" is rather like a French villager in 1940 looking around at his cows, grazing on his green mountainside pasture, and saying that things in Europe "really aren't so bad." His pasture is fine, but not so far away there's a world of pain. At any moment a bomb could land in his pasture or on his farm house, but he'd rather not think about it. Things really aren't that bad, he tells himself. Are there Chicago neighborhoods more dangerous than Rogers Park? Certainly, but that doesn't make Rogers Park "safe." Narcotics sales are still very brisk in Rogers Park, and good statistics are impossible to come by; the thousands of unseen, undocumented drug transactions are not recorded. They happened regularly and often right outside of Alderman Moore's ward service office at W. Jarvis and N. Greenview. A young man was murdered not long ago, about 200 feet from Moore's office. Cecil wraps his post with this rose-colored glasses statement: "If you decide to move to Rogers Park you'll want to exercise the usual precautions. That done, don't worry about it. You'll be fine." Sure. The "usual precautions." In Rogers Park, "usual precautions" includes but is not limited to staying away from CTA stations after dark, staying out of the parks after dark, walking with a buddy or a large dog if you must walk anywhere after dark, constantly being vigilant for the next shooting on Morse or Howard, and generally staying out of the neighborhood. You'll be fine. RELATED: Violent Crime Skyrockets in Rogers Park Armed Robbery Near 49th Ward Service Office Chicago's 24th District More Violent than 23rd ... Savage CTA Attack on New Year's Eve BLOODY NIGHT IN ROGERS PARK, CHICAGO Robbed: Ald. Moore's Chief of Staff Morse Avenue Is Dangerous ARSON AT MORSE THEATRE BREAKING NEWS: MURDER IN ROGERS PARK (Another) Murder in Rogers Park The Bloody Streets of Rogers Park Leave a Comment on our Guestbook! CommieBama Hats and More Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Follow ChiNewsBench on Twitter

Local Coverage of 24th District Police Commander

On Monday night, March 9, still-new 24th District police commander David Sobcyk was "introduced" to residents of Alderman Joe Moore's 49th Ward on Monday night. Predictably, the mainstream media did not cover the event, so we turn to the local bloggers for reports. 24/7 North of Howard Watchers: Commander Sobczyk North Howard Neighors Association: Last Night's Meeting ChiTown Daily News: Sobczyk to tackle gang crime as new Rogers Park commander RELATED: Open Letter to 24th Dist Commander Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Cool Stuff...

(Another) Open Letter to Commander Sobczyk

Commander Sobczyk: I am distressed by your cavalier defamation of citizen journalists ("bloggers") with associations to Rogers Park. I do not pretend to speak on behalf of other blogs and web sites associated with Rogers Park, but I am confident that every one of them would agree with me when I say that your careless and cowardly reference to "a recent community website" in your undated, untitled flyer casts each and every website - not just bloggers - in a bad light. My blog's web site is "rogersparkbench.blogspot.com," and so it is associated with Rogers Park, so I am personally asking that you issue a public statement naming the "community website" and citing the URL of the site's page on which you allege "an anonymous e-mail was posted regarding alleged 911 and Chicago Police Department indifference regarding an attack" on a synagogue in your 24th District. Yes, I said "cowardly" above. Commander Sobczyk, to make a vague public accusation without naming the accused takes little spine and, for a man in your position, even less brains. If you know the name of the web site, name the name. By not doing so, you libel each and every other web site that has any association with Rogers Park and, for that matter, with any other neighborhood within the 24th District. Commander, we in the media, whether humble bloggers, little community web sites or the big mainstream daily newspapers, are used to hearing people in your position brush off our questions with the excuse that you cannot comment without the blessing of CPD spokesperson Monique Bond. Is Ms. Bond clearing the recent spate of irresponsible communiques from your office? Has your superior officer, Area Chief Bruce Rottner, cleared and approved your vague, accusatorial, amateurish and insulting responses to the legitimate concerns of local residents? The written words coming from your desk within the past week have shown a level of amateurism and immaturity never before displayed by the men who have occupied the office in which you sit, Commander Sobczyk. You're leaving quite a trail of documented and archived public relations incompetence. Your recent actions have only served to set back the advances made in the trust and confidence levels that the residents of the 24th District had in their local police brass, thanks to the positive efforts and good communications skills of your predecessors. Quite frankly, sir, you should be embarrassed and ashamed. We, all of us who are in any way associated with Rogers Park, are embarrassed and ashamed both for you - and by you. Tom Mannis Chicago News Bench rogersparkbench.blogspot.com RELATED: Open Letter to 24th Dist Commander (the first one, Jan. 23) Got a Problem in Rogers Park? Blame the Bloggers

Updated: Open Letter to 24th Dist Commander Sobczyk

ROGERS PARK, CHICAGO - January 23 - What a mess in Chicago's 24th Police District and the 49th Aldermanic Ward. David Sobczyk, 24th Dist. Commander recently admitted that it is policy to allow gangsters to make "shrines" to murdered gang members. Community activists were outraged when this was learned, which set some local bloggers (including this one) to post against the practice. The "shrines" often deface public or private property, sometimes both. Building a shrine to memorialize a dead gang member involves dumping items such as cheap teddy bears, mylar balloons, votive candles, bottles of liquor and trinkets on the public way. Often, gang graffiti is sprayed on any nearby walls and the sidewalk. (For background, see "Anger in Rogers Park Over Police Protection of Gang Graffiti, Shrines" and "Chicago Cops Protect Gang Shrines.") Updated: Also see "(Another) Open Letter to Commander Sobczyk (Jan. 24)" Today, Commander Sobczyk is making matters worse by sending out an email blast which, in effect, repeats the admission that police have orders to essentially protect gang shrines for 48 hours. Chicago News Bench was included in the email blast, which prompted me to respond to him in an open letter (below). To make matters worse, Sobczyk subtly chides the concerned citizens for being insensitive, and calls the grotesque practice "universal." The commander, still fresh in his position as Boss of the 24th District, seems incapable of stepping around messy piles in plain sight. He has chosen, rather, to step right into them, and the mess is sticking to his shoes. OPEN LETTER TO COMMANDER DAVID A. SOBCZYK 24TH DISTRICT, CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:08:25 -0800 (PST) From: Tom Mannis Subject: Gang Shrines and The Office Who Attacked Me To: Jody Weis, Superintendent, Chicago Police Department I feel you should be aware of the following email thread. Kind regards, Tom Mannis Chicago News Bench www.rogersparkbench.blogspot.com --------------------------------------------- Date: Friday, January 23, 2009 5:48 PM (CST) From: Tom Mannis Subject: Gang Shrines and The Office Who Attacked Me To: David A. Sobczyk, Commander, 24th District Commander Sobczyk: Two things. A response to your letter regarding gang shrines and a request for information about the investigation one of your officers. On June 28, 2008 I was assaulted by 24th District Officer Kanski (badge number 10983). He and other officers stood by and watched a paramedic assault and try to forcibly rob Craig Gernhardt of his camera. Officer Kanski then turned his attention to me, and tried to forcibly take my camera. I filed a formal complaint with [a sergeant] in July, 2008, who assured me that there would be a full investigation. The 24th District has not extended the courtesy of informing me of the outcome of that investigation, and I hereby request a report of said promised investigation. (See http://rogersparkbench.blogspot.com/2008/06/video-bloggers-assaulted-by-first.html) As to your comment in your email dated 1/23/09 that "the placement of candles, signage and stuffed animals has become a universally conventional practice in honoring the loss of a loved one," do you honestly expect us all to believe that the vandalization of property public and private is now the way in which most of us (you said "universal") honor the loss of a loved one? Sir, how stupid do you think we are? If what you wrote is true, please explain why we don't commonly see people defacing the public way when a friend or family member dies. Commander, where do you draw the line? I am no gang member, but are you saying that if a friend of mine dies, I can load a pile of crap onto the public way, light a bunch of candles around it, and the police won't haul it off for "48 hours?" (By the way, sir, who sets the official time for the start of that 48 hour period?) Or, Commander, does this free pass on vandalism and defacement of public and private property apply only to select denizens of the local underworld? Commander, your comments and the CPD policy as regards gang shrines insults all of us. Tom Mannis Chicago News Bench www.rogersparkbench.blogspot.com --------------------------------------------- On Fri, 1/23/09, Sobczyk, David A. wrote: From: Sobczyk, David A. Subject: Re: Gang Shrines To: "'luckenbach@rcn.com'" Date: Friday, January 23, 2009, 4:01 PM Sir, I certainly regret that you are unable to come and discuss your concerns with me in person. In your response to wanting an “official, written response” regarding the policy of gang memorial removal, I will answer as follows: First and foremost, the Police in the 024TH District in no way condone or wish to promote criminal street gangs. Having said that, the guiding light in the removal of a “memorial” is common sense and practicality; two highly valued attributes that do not lend themselves well to intractable/official policies. In other words, the precise method and timing for the removal of such a memorial is based upon the careful consideration of one or more of the following circumstances and/or concerns: • Officer Safety • Public Safety (traffic obstruction issues) • Location of the Memorial (i.e., public versus private property) • Availability of Required Street & Sanitation Personnel • Memorial Content (generic versus gang-related) In today’s world, the placement of candles, signage and stuffed animals has become a universally conventional practice in honoring the loss of a loved one. For those memorials which have no gang-related connection, the police will typically assess the situation and respectfully inform the family and friends that such a memorial will have a finite existence. Those memorials which are gang-related, will be removed in a more expedient manner pursuant to the aforementioned considerations. Commander David Sobczyk 024TH District Chicago Police Department -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Michael luckenbach To: ward49@cityofchicago.org ; Sobczyk, David A.; Jody Weis Sent: Fri Jan 23 15:33:59 2009 Subject: Gang Shrines Gentlemen: The residents of the 24th Police District and the 49th Ward continue to await a written reply to the open letter (below) sent to you on Thursday, January 22, 2009. As requested, we would like clarification regarding the 24th District 'policy' in dealing with 'gang shrines' in and on the public way in our community. Sincerely, M. Luckenbach North Howard Neighbors Association -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An Open Letter to: Police Superintendent Jody Weis 24th District Commander Dave Sobczyk Alderman Joe Moore Gentlemen: A response to this concern, which was e-mailed to each of you last week, has not yet been received. The residents of the 24th District and 49th Ward await your response and clarification on this matter. Sincerely, Michael Luckenbach North Howard Neighbors Association -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 'GANG SHRINES' AND THE 24th POLICE DISTRICT In regard to the crime situation in our community, I want to relate the following to all 49th Ward residents: I attended a meeting the evening of Friday, Jan.16th, as a member of the NoH Parks' Advisory Council's Security Committee. In addition to Chicago Park District personnel (program, facilities and security), Sergeant John Delgado, 24th District, was in attendance. When the subject of 'gang shrines' came up, Sgt. Delgado informed us that it was the 'policy' of the 24th District to allow 'gang shrines' to remain, in place on public property, for up to 48 hours. I was dumbfounded by this revelation, as I'm sure all law abiding RP residents will be. I strongly voiced my objection to this 'policy' as completely absurd and ridiculous on a number of levels, from enabling and glorifying to coddling the gang lifestyle and activity in our community. This 'attitude'/policy is a serious affront to our residents and our community. It should be OFFICIALLY discontinued immediately. There must be ZERO tolerance to glorification or tolerance of ANY gang activity, period, particularly on the part of our 24th District Police officers. I intend to pursue this matter further, with STRONG objections, to Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis, 24th District Commander David Sobczyk, as well as 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore. I strongly urge ALL residents of our community to do the same. Voice your feelings and opinion now to: jody.weis@chicagopolice.org David.Sobczyk@chicagopolice.org ward49@cityofchicago.org ----------------------------------- When your mother dies, Dear Reader, will you memorialize her by dumping a few cheap teddy bears, mylar balloons, votive candles and bottles of cheap liquor on a street corner? Commander Sobczyk thinks you are likely to. Why else would call such a practice "universal?" Subscribe to Chicago News Bench

Anger in Rogers Park Over Police Protection of Gang Graffiti, Shrines

The following open email letter was received today at 12:11 p.m. It was sent to various Chicago police and elected officials is a response to the recent revelation that police officers are following policy when they allow gang graffiti and "shrines" to remain undisturbed on public property as makeshift memorials to murdered gang members. In my opinion, this would be like allowing the Hatfields and McCoys to deface and a litter on public or private property to memorialize one of their murdered kinfolk. It is bad policy because it allows the legitimization of murderous gang activity, it allows the gangster punks to believe that the cops are afraid of them, and it allows vandals to deface public and often private property without fear of legal consequence. It is ironic that the average person would be fined and/or arrested for spraying graffit on a wall not owned by them, yet the authorities tacitly bless the same activity if it is preceded by a murder. That's the logic of our local elected and police officials. From: Michael Luckenbach <luckenbach@rcn.com>" To: ward49@cityofchicago.org>, "David Sobczyk" <david.sobczyk@chicagopolice.org>, "Jody Weis" <police@cityofchicago.org> Cc: "Julie Hamos" <julie@juliehamos.org>, "Jen Walling" <jen@heathersteans.com>, "Jan Schakowsky" <jan.schakowsky@mail.house.gov>, "Jeffery Schoenberg" <senator@jschoenberg.org>, "Heather Steans" <hsteans@senatedem.ilga.gov>, "Ben Joravosky" <joravben@aol.com>, "Bruce Rottner" <bruce.rottner@chicagopolice.org>, "John Kass" <jskass@tribune.com>, "Tom Mannis", "Craig Gernhardt", "Grammar Gal", "Lorraine Swanson" <lswanson@chicagojournal.com> An Open Letter to: Police Superintendent Jody Weis 24th District Commander Dave Sobczyk Alderman Joe Moore Gentlemen: A response to this concern, which was e-mailed to each of you last week, has not yet been received. The residents of the 24th District and 49th Ward await your response and clarification on this matter. Sincerely, Michael Luckenbach North Howard Neighbors Association Bcc: NHNA Membership 'GANG SHRINES' AND THE 24th POLICE DISTRICT In regard to the crime situation in our community, I want to relate the following to all 49th Ward residents: I attended a meeting the evening of Friday, Jan.16th, as a member of the NoH Parks' Advisory Council's Security Committee. In addition to Chicago Park District personnel (program, facilities and security), Sergeant John Delgado, 24th District, was in attendance. When the subject of 'gang shrines' came up, Sgt. Delgado informed us that it was the 'policy' of the 24th District to allow 'gang shrines' to remain, in place on public property, for up to 48 hours. I was dumbfounded by this revelation, as I'm sure all law abiding RP residents will be. I strongly voiced my objection to this 'policy' as completely absurd and ridiculous on a number of levels, from enabling and glorifying to coddling the gang lifestyle and activity in our community. This 'attitude'/policy is a serious affront to our residents and our community. It should be OFFICIALLY discontinued immediately. There must be ZERO tolerance to glorification or tolerance of ANY gang activity, period, particularly on the part of our 24th District Police officers. I intend to pursue this matter further, with STRONG objections, to Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis, 24th District Commander David Sobczyk, as well as 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore. I strongly urge ALL residents of our community to do the same. Voice your feelings and opinion now to: jody.weis@chicagopolice.org David.Sobczyk@chicagopolice.org ward49@cityofchicago.org

Savage CTA Attack on New Year's Eve

Rogers Park, Chicago - After the recent New Year's Eve celebration, a Rogers Park bar owner and bar staff were viciously attacked as they tried to board the Red Line train around 3:30 a.m., January 1, 2009. The owner and staff tried to enter the Morse Avenue CTA EL Station (at N. Glenwood), where about 12 juveniles (estimated at 15-17 years old, both boys and girls) were loitering inside the terminal and blocking the turnstyles. (It should be noted that the CTA employees at the Morse station frequently allow loitering, smoking and drug dealing inside and outside of the station without calling security or police.) They were "viciously attacked" as the girls were "egging on the young boys to prove their manhood. The beating continues. The blood flows. The CTA security and personal do nothing." Will Jesse Jackson run up to Rogers Park to protest what could be described as a hate crime? The CTA Morse El station is approximately 180 feet from the new Morse Theatre, which opened last October, 2008. The theater hoped originally to open in September, but the small matter of a gang style break in and arson delayed that. Many local residents are ignorant enough to believe (still) that the presence of a nice new business will reduce crime on this deeply troubled strip of Rogers Park. What the ignorant seem blind to is the fact that the Morse Theatre is not in the business of providing security for Morse Avenue, Alderman Joe Moore (49th Ward) still doesn't give a rat's behind about gang activity on and around Morse Avenue (even after 17 years as the city council representative), and the 24th District police are reactionary and not preventative in their approach to crime. CTA should be held liable for damages suffered by the bar staff. Had such an attack happened in a business establishment, the business would be held liable for not protecting the safety of its patrons. CTA should not be able to get away with this, nor should Alderman Moore or the 24th District police commander. It was New Year's Eve, for God's sake. Any fool should have known that the likelihood for trouble is heightened. The usually lax attention that the cops pay to the Morse El station should have been improved at least temporarily until sunrise on January 1, and Alderman Moore should have demanded that weeks ago. CPD needs to explain why a group of minors was allowed to loiter at 3:30 a.m. in a spot that should have been heavily patroled all night and until the sun was up. CTA needs to explain why their employee/s and the third-party security company did not call police or intervene in the attack, and why the little savages were allowed to loiter there in the first place. Yes, I did call them savages. Why no, that's not a racist remark. It's an accurate description of people who commit acts of savagery. What Rogers Park needs is a good public stoning of the local police commanders, the alderman and a few CTA officials. I suggest the intersection of Morse and Glenwood as the venue.

Chicago's 24th District Brass Shakeup Raises Questions

ROGERS PARK, CHICAGO - The mood was jubilant at the 24th District cop shop when it was announced that Commander Steven Caluris was out, officially replaced on Monday, Dec. 1 by David A. Sobczyk. Caluris was not popular with his 24th Dist. officers, many of whom openly expressed their dislike of him. The mild-mannered Caluris left without fanfare. No send off. No public goodbye, in stark contrast to the overblown and messy "introduction" he received from 49th Ward Ald. Joe Moore back on May 5, 2008. The transition leaves questions, however. The announcement of Sobczyk’s appointment was covered on Wednesday, Nov. 26 on chicagobreakingnews.com: Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis announced several key promotions and staff changes, including the creation of new positions inside the department. The announcement comes on the heels of the department's 2009 budget… Where did Caluris go? He now has Sobczyk’s previous duties. Sobczyk was given Caluris’s former job, and in the same shakeup Caluris was reassigned to Sobczyk’s former position as Commander, Deployment Operations Center within the CPD’s Bureau of Investigative Services. Not surprisingly, the mainstream press gave virtually no coverage to the shakeup, which involved not just the 24th District, but many other parts of the Chicago Police Department. Second City Sarge, for example, covered it on the 26th. However, on Monday, Nov. 24, two days before the announcement of Caluris’s ouster, Caluris was a panelist in a “Town Hall Meeting” to discuss policing and crime in Rogers Park. He sat at a table with State Senator Heather Steans, State Representative Harry Osterman, and Ald. Moore. Nobody told the roughly 75 attending Rogers Park residents that Caluris was about to be replaced as Commander of the 24th District. Sobczyk was not in the room. If he was, he did not make himself known to the neighbors. This all begs more questions: 1) Did CPD Chief Jody Weiss not tell any of the commanders involved of their pending job reassignments? 2) If Caluris was informed of his pending reassignment out of Rogers Park and 24th District, was he misrepresenting himself at the Town Hall Meeting? 3) Is Ald. Moore really so out of the loop that he was unaware of Caluris’s imminent ouster? 4) If Moore did not know, Is Jody Weiss so arrogant that he couldn’t give a heads-up to the aldermen who have territory within the 24th District? Sobczyk is a 25-year veteran of the CPD with FBI training. He is a nationally recognized expert on terrorism.

In an August 20, 2008 article at ijis.org, he talked about terrorism and its relation to crime in general: According to Chicago Police Cmdr. David Sobczyk, head of the Deployment Operations Center, of which CPIC is an extension, focusing both on crime and terrorism strengthens the antiterrorism mission. Not only are everyday crimes sometimes precursors to a terrorist attack, but more importantly, having a center that is constantly being exercised 24/7 by responding to actual public safety incidents only makes staff more skilled and effective in dealing with a terrorist threat. (Source) Sobczyk’s resume includes being the Commander of the Chicago Police Department's Deployment Operations Center (DOC): “This Unit houses Chicago's Counter Terrorism Section and serves as the Police Department's intelligence hub. Commander Sobczyk is a veteran of over 25 years with the Chicago Police Department whose previous assignments include District Law Enforcement, the Public Housing Section, Gang Crimes Section, Vice Control, the Intelligence Section, Patrol Division Administration and the Gang Intelligence Section.” (Source) As noted above, Sobczyk is a terrorism expert. He has extensive experience working with “intelligence fusion,” the latest model of intelligence sharing between agencies. The model is also used by police departments, such as the CPD, to share information quickly between units within those departments. “Resources and databases are combined and critical crime-fighting information is shared, allowing law enforcement agencies big and small to be on the same page.” (Source) The motivation behind intelligence fusion is to “fill in gaps in intelligence-gathering that were discovered after the Sept. 11 attacks.” (Source) "The whole object is to change the investigative culture of what we do as a department, whether it's related to violent crime or Homeland Security, and we do a very good job of that," said Cdr. David Sobczyk of the Chicago Police Department. "Things that normally would have taken days, weeks or months to provide, we give instantaneously." (Source) Perfect. The new commander of the 24th District can now give us information “instantaneously” about local crime that “normally would have taken days, weeks or months to provide.” We look forward to 24th District crime statistics being “instantaneously” provided. While that would make residents happy, it would probably displease tight-lipped CPD spokeswoman Monique Bond. As for Ald. Moore, he’ll be oblivious to any difference. RELATED: Hit The Ground Running David A. Sobczyk profile (Homeland Defense Journal) Meaningless Town Hall Meeting Tonight in Rogers Park Town Hall Public Safety Meeting a Laugher New Commander: More of the Same Chicago Police Department Weblog Chicago Fusion Center Gives Police New Criminal Investigation ... Fatal Connection - Chicago Magazine - January 2006 Anti-terror center adds crime focus Surviving Chicago's sex slave trade FOXNews.com - Fusion Centers Combine Law Enforcement on All Levels ...

RP Town Hall Meeting Was Funny

I hate to say 'I told you so,' but I did. Craig Gernhardt follows up in the "Town Hall Meeting" on safety in Rogers Park two nights ago. It was, as The Bench predicted, a complete waste of time. Gernhardt's post, "Town Hall Public Safety Meeting a Laugher" is a good summary of a meeting that accomplished absolutely nothing. But it was great entertainment.

Update #2: Parking on Pratt (with photos)

The Bench seems to have had an impact on the policing of tow zone violators in the 1000 block of W. Pratt in Rogers Park. Yesterday, it was observed that three vehicles parked there were ticketed.

Recently, The Bench noted one month ago that police were ignoring the two "Tow Zone" signs and allowing lifeguards - and others - to park there illegally. (See "Waiting for the Chief of Staff ")

There was, allegedly, "a deal" between 49th Ward Alderthing Joe Moore and the Chicago Park District to allow lifeguards to violate the tow zone.

Why the 24th District police were cooperating is subject to speculation.

The Bench contacted Moore's Chief of Staff Betsy Vandercook nearly a month ago about this. Vandercook has still not provided an answer, despite of her promise to do so.

Fake Liberals Defend Police Misconduct

There are some hypocrites out there who have criticized me - and other writers - for criticizing the Chicago police. How sad. How cowardly and hypocritical. How un-Liberal.

How brave (not) it is to paint neighborhood new media reporters (a.k.a. "bloggers") as bad guys because they are critical of police mistakes or misconduct. How cowardly, for the same people, to not criticize the Big Media for doing exactly the same thing.

Rogers Park bloggers are being assaulted, attacked, harassed and hounded by 24th District cops. No, not all of the cops here. A handful of them, however, are engaged in bad behavior. 24th District Police Commander Caluris, a likable enough fellow, says he is upset by this behavior. He says he wants to know about it. Perhaps he should let his officers know that he doesn't like. The beat cops, some of them anyway, seem unaware of his displeasure with unwarranted harassment.

One must wonder: Are some of the cops influenced by Alderman Moore, a despicable man who has gotten a lot of harsh criticism from local bloggers? It's just a theory, but it's not out of the question. Moore would not be the first petty politician to do such a thing. We already know that Joe Moore uses a couple of local lunatics as attack bloggers to attack those who shine light on his corruption and ineptitude.

How sad that people who pretend to be Liberals or Progressives or Democrats have become so entrenched in the very system that they pretend to fight. How tragic that those so-called freedom lovers and free speech advocates are so anti-free speech and, therefore, anti-freedom and pro-police misconduct.

Will the same pipsqueaks have the courage to write the same things about the Chicago Sun-Times? Today's issue blares a front page story that is harshly critical of the CPD. The story, on page 5, is headlined "Were police unprepared for Taste of Chicago violence?"

The post-Hippy, post-Summer of Love "Liberals" and "Democrats" are not what they claim to be. Now they cling to hacks like Alderman Joe Moore, faux-Democrats like King Richard Daley, and - cynically just because it's politically expedient - defend local police who harass local writers. Once upon a time, there were true Liberals and true Democrats who would have been loudly deriding that kind of police behavior. These days, however, the Joe Moore sycophants and the Mayor Daley goose steppers just turn a blind eye. Worse yet, some cheer it on.

SOS: 24th District Cops Out of Control

Fellow New Media Journalists: Please give this your attention, and help bring it to the attention of your readers. Bloggers - the free media - are under siege in Chicago's 24th Police District. This is a story for newspapers to latch onto as well - if they care about free media and free speech and police harassment. (They claim to - do they?) Where are the so-called, self-professed Free Speech Liberals? Craig and I have written about this extensively. Where are the ACLU types, so eager to defend neo-Nazis's free speech? Nazis can speak freely, even march past the homes of Auschwitz survivors, say the ACLU members. But bloggers? Why, they're bloggers! That's just unacceptable! Where are the so-called "community leaders" who call themselves "Progressives?" Where are our fellow bloggers? Where is Commander Steven Caluris, 24th District, who claims he is against the type of behavior that some of his troops are engaging in? They are silent, virtually all. Granted, a handful of people (mostly anonymous) are leaving comments on Craig's blog. Oh, how brave! Thanks for your virtually silent, anonymous-and-therefore meaningless support. The so-called civil libertarians of the 49th Ward in Rogers Park are precisely the opposite: They are boot licking sycophants to the local powers. They march lock step with Joe Moore and his cronies. None of them has stepped up to the plate, none has openly spoken out. That is why we need outside attention. Like a third world nation with a tyrant in power, we appeal to outside entities for assistance. All we ask for is your attention and assistance in getting the word out about official harassment of journalists in Rogers Park, the 49th Ward, the 24th Police District. To be sure, not all of the officers in the 24th are behaving badly. Most are not. But it only takes a handful of bad apples to make the whole house smell rotten. I am getting some of the abuse, but friend and fellow writer Craig Gernhardt is being harassed the most. Examples: * On June 28, Craig and I were assaulted by first responders (in front of the Ald. Moore's office). A paramedic committed assault and battery on Craig, then attempted strong arm robbery (no weapon) of his camera. A cop assaulted me, tried to steal my camera, brushing my hand with his in the attempted robbery. I have a formal complaint filed with Internal Affairs. See the video here. * In mid-June, Craig recorded video of some young kids working on the site of a gut rehab building. There is a police connection here, although weird. The kids were hauling fiberglass and other waste materials with no protective clothing or masks. (See * Child Labor Used in Rogers Park Rehab.) In any normal community, Craig would have been lauded as a hero for exposing the outrage - but here in socially dysfunctional Rogers Park, he is being attacked for it. Why? Mental cases here accuse him of making a child porn video! According to Craig, The kids are fully clothes, not doin anything sexual, are in broad daylight, in plain view of the street. The only sick people involved in the incident are the people accusing Craig of doing anything wrong. THE POLICE CONNECTION: About a week after Craig made this video, a female cop pulled Craig over and expressed her displeasure about it. She had no business doing this - it is a civil matter, not a police matter. * On July 6, a police car responded responded to a call about illegally parked vehicles where Pratt Avenue ends at the beach. The officer sees me, she also sees five illegally parked vehicles, and says to me, "I have a call that you're photographing cars. It's illegal to photograph cars." Huh? I ask her which ordinance makes it illegal to photograph a car in Chicago. Of course, she could not cite her make-believe ordinance. She wrote a ticket for a guy whose car was parked with two wheels over the curb, but ignored four life guard vehicles. (More about that over here....) This was not exactly harassment, but the message was loud and clear: The police (some of them) are more interested in hassling civilians than in doing their job.

For space considerations I'll stop here for now. But there will be more to come.

Warning! Sidewalk Bicyclists On Morse Avenue

Whew, the 24th District police (Chicago) have their work cut out for them! They are now, apparently, cracking down hard on bicyclists (over 13 years old) who ride on the sidewalks of Rogers Park.

The police just did a brilliant chase-down of a bicyclist last night. As the cops are reported to have said to the heinous offender, he was putting people in "grave danger."

Ah, but the "grave danger" continues! Today, right now, I see many cyclists over the age of 13 on the sidewalk of Morse Avenue. Where are the police? Why are they not stopping this imminent, grave danger? Of course, there is another way to look at all of this: Crime in Chicago and the 49th Ward is now, I guess, so low that the most serious thing the police have to worry about is bicyclists.

Harassing Local Bloggers

Harassment of bloggers and repression of free speech is a growing worldwide problem. Brooklyn Blog Helps Lead to Drug Raid The dangers of blogging for democracy Bloggers becoming an important political voice MORE BLOGGERS ARRESTED ~ The clampdown is not confined to ‘undemocratic’ regimes: in the last four years, British, French, Canadian and American bloggers have also been arrested. Italian blog closed by Police ~ Bloggers have been arrested for having exposed corruption in government, abuse of human rights or suppression. Global Voices Advocacy » China: Political blogger arrested ... Canadian Dimension Blog / More Bloggers Arrested Record Number of Bloggers Arrested Threat Level from Wired.com By the numbers: arrested bloggers csmonitor.com Greenpeace - Making Waves: Blogger arrested - blog him out of jail!! Bloggers Arrested Worldwide In Record Numbers - Technology - redOrbit Human Rights » Blog Archive » Bloggers arrested ~ The Committee to Protect bloggers says at least 344 have been detained in Burma alone... Global Voices Advocacy » Tunisian blogger/journalist arrested Governments step up blogger arrests Greek blogger arrest infuriates world The Register Blogger Arrested by South Korean Police Japan Probe

EXCLUSIVE: HUGE CPD DRAGNET IN ROGERS PARK

ROGERS PARK, CHICAGO - In a daring operation early this evening, a group of Chicago Police officers swooped down on a man and stopped him. Even with gang members and petty thieves, the usual domestic batteries, sex offenders and a large assortment of other criminals walking around looking for victims, the brave police officers chased down a... ...local blogger (no, not me). They ticketed him for allegedly riding his bike on the sidewalk. All that while THIS was going on. Nice work, CPD! We all feel safer for your harassment of local bloggers. Keep up the good work. Commander Caluris must be so proud of you!

Don't Feed the Pigeons

Many people assume that cops must be experts about law. They're not. I don't mean this post as an insult to police officers, but the blunt truth is that the vast majority did not go to law school. And some, as we see here, don't even know an ordinance that's widely posted in their own city.

CNB photo archives

It is illegal to feed the pigeons in Chicago. So says Chicago Municipal Code Section 728-710, which calls for a fine of up to $500 for throwing food to the filthy, flying poop droppers. Addendum: After a writer wrote that "there is no Section 728-710," I felt compelled to add a link to the section in question (also see my response to "Roderick" in the comments). Read the entire Section 728-710 here. 

Unfortunately, some CPD officers seem unaware of this well-known, well-posted law. At 5:18 p.m. today, a call went out from the 24th District CPD dispatcher.

"Woman feeding pigeons at Howard and Paulina, causing a disturbance," she called out.

Immediately, an officer radioed back, "That is not illegal."

"Yeah," came the dispatcher's response. After half an hour of listening, I never heard a followup to that disturbance call.

Okay, I know, feed the pigeons is no emergency. Yes, it helps a disease-spreading pest breed and multiply, but what the heck - we allow unregulated food carts to sell unrefrigerated, unlicensed, uninspected food to humans, right? So what's one more health threat?

The big deal is that a police officer (a) did not know that it's illegal to feed pigeons, even though it's one of the most posted laws in the city, and (b) an ignorant officer overrode his ignorant dispatcher with an ignorant remark. How many other, more serious calls are called off in the same manner?

New Commander: More of the Same

24th District Commander Rottner was replaced by Steven Caluris. He now calls the shots in the Chicago Police District 24. Tonight, you can meet the new boss. Tonight, you can discover for yourselves that he is the same as the old boss. Police officers still disrespect Rogers Park residents by not giving them needed information. Caluris, probably a nice guy, is still more loyal to his overlords than he is to the People. Ask Commander Caluris tonight why neighbors were forced - forced - to stand outside their homes for two hours or more, even after the watch commander KNEW that a "bomb" was NOT a bomb, but simply a harmless bong. Ask Commander Caluris tonight why narcotics deals on the streets are simply "dispersed," and the bad guys not rounded up and arrested. Ask Commander Caluris tonight why two or three outdoor roll calls are so damned important, when all those officers could be be out dealing with problems in the hood. Ask Commander Caluris tonight why he and his fellow police officers do not honor their oaths to uphold and defend the United States Constitution, by allowing Mayor Daley and the City Council to make their own immigration laws. Tonight, the New Boss will give us all the same old spin, the same old dodge and misdirection that you got with a smile from the Old Boss. "Meet the New Commander Tonight" say the fliers in Rogers Park. 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore's web site reminds us, too: Don't Forget Tonight's Meeting With Police Commander Caluris Dear Neighbor, I am writing to remind you of the Town Hall Meeting with our new 24th District Police Commander, Steven Caluris. The meeting takes place TONIGHT, Monday, May 5th, at the Loyola Park Fieldhouse, 2nd Floor, 1230 W. Greenleaf (at the Lake). Commander Caluris will share his vision for enhancing the safety of our neighborhood, and will answer your questions and listen to your public safety concerns. Don't miss this opportunity to meet our new police commander.

NOTE: Before you go tonight, watch this video: