Residents Vow A Safer Halloween In Hyde Park
CHICAGO (CBS) -- After a dangerous and unsettling Halloween last year, with cars vandalized and mobs of teenagers overtaking neighborhoods, people living in Hyde Park are standing ready this year.
As CBS 2's Chris Tye reported from busy 53rd Street, several block clubs were making efforts to make this year's Halloween safer.
Once the sun went gone down, the guard was up in Hyde Park -- as were police barricades. More than two dozen block clubs have produced smaller events to prevent a sequel to last year.
"Last Halloween my street was unrecognizable. Kids romping down our street, raising hell," said Hyde Park resident Michael Allen.
Hell was raised, cars were damaged, and fireworks were launched last year.
This year, neighbors said they're read to play some defense. Allen and a small army of neighbors are "lighting up" property (with large flood lights) and showing up en masse.
Two dozen blocks around Hyde Park, many visited by the vandals, are planning street-side parties to keep eyes open and neighborhoods safe.
But there's one more thing working against a repeat of something like what happened last year. That would be the cold, snowy weather that is out of the ordinary for this point on the calendar..
"It's gonna be freezing. Literally," Allen said.
"I'm not really bracing for anything because the weather is so bad. I think most of the kids will stay inside," said resident Grace Dodier.
It may be setback for those looking for treats, and but it also might have the effect of icing out the "trick" community too. Conditions Thursday night were 20 degrees colder than a year ago.
Still, neighbors are ready.
"It was short lived, but we took note. And, we just want to have a normal Halloween again," Allen said.
Neighbors have created texting networks to keep each other looped in, in real time, in case something pops. They've also been in thorough contact with CPD and CTA to see whose coming and going and making waves.