River North Residents Association launches survey in hopes of fighting crime, improving safety

CHICAGO (CBS) -- River North residents have had it with spiking crime in Chicago and the fear and deterioration that has come with it – so they spent months researching solutions.

Now, a downtown neighborhood association wants your input as they present them to every leader of the city.

CBS 2's Tara Molina has tracked the rise in crime downtown and on public transit for months. she has more on their proposal and how you can get involved. As Molina reported Thursday, the concerned River North neighbors heard from more than 400 people on their first day distributing a survey with specific safety recommendations for everyone from residents to prosecutors and police.

They want to be clear - you don't have to live or work downtown to get involved.

The residents who developed the survey are sick of crime scene tape and fear when they're just walking the streets downtown.

Violent crime numbers show aggravated assaults and batteries at more than five-year highs in River North. Aggravated assaults have totaled 55 this year and aggravated batteries have totaled 62.

Thus, the River North Residents Association - about 24,000 members strong – said they are done asking for help and are now demanding action.

The organization has worked on the survey for months, detailing changes they want to see in the city and researched solutions working elsewhere.

There are specific itemized recommendations for stakeholders of all kinds, including:

• The City Council;
• Prosecutors and courts;
• Public safety officials;
• Large corporations/foundations;
• Hospitality business owners/operators;
• Licensing and regulatory officials;
• Community and homeowner associations;
• Local residents and businesses.

The recommendations include returned police patrols and more training, a change in how underage offenders are prosecuted, more accessible crime information, better use of current camera technology, and better safety practices for businesses.

Brian Israel is president of the association.

"When this sort of thing is happening, it's obviously bad for everyone - bad for businesses, bad for residents, bad for government," Israel said.

Israel said the organization knows they can't change public policy directly, but they're hoping collected raised voices can impact it.

"We are trying to encourage participation and engagement; get the conversation going; get the people involved - and hopefully have a positive impact," he said.

The association has already sent the survey to the following people:

• Mayor Lori Lightfoot;
• Deputy Mayor Elena Gottreich;
• Police Supt. David Brown;
• Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart;
• Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx;
• Cook County Chief Judge Tim Evans
• Aldermen Brian Hopkins (2nd), Walter Burnett Jr. (27th), and Brendan Reilly (42nd);
• Near North (18th) District police Cmdr. Jon Hein;
• Cook County Commissioner Bridged Degnen (D-12th);
• State of Illinois officials.

The association emphasizes that the survey is coming from a downtown group - but is not just about those who live, work, and spend time there.

"I want to make it clear that while the frequency and seriousness of crime in our community is unprecedented, it is the situation that many communities have been experiencing for decades," Israel said. "Nobody who lives here, works here, visits should have to fear for their safety or for that of their family."

Molina reached out to every city leader and office that has this survey in their inbox right now. Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) got back to us and said he hopes police Supt. David Brown reviews these recommendations:

"I appreciate RNRA for their advocacy on behalf of the neighborhood I live in and represent on the City Council. I am glad the organization conducted this survey and tested a number of the proposed solutions I've been busy implementing over the past two years.

"The fact of the matter is that people no longer feel safe in their neighborhoods - whether you live downtown, in Beverly, Bridgeport or Chatham. The current sorry state of police staffing and the Department's underinvestment in valuable, effective technology are major drivers of the problem.

"It is my sincere hope that the Police Superintendent reviews this important feedback and gives it consideration. I've been asking the Police Superintendent to consider many of these suggestions and initiatives for quite some time, with no success. 

"People are tired of being served-up month over month citywide police statistics - they just want law and order restored in their neighborhoods and on their blocks. Like most people in Chicago, my constituents are tired of all the promises and latest CPD plans - they want to see proactive policing, well resourced police districts and, most importantly, they want results."

Chicago Police released the following statement:

"The Chicago Police Department works closely with community organizations across the city as we all work toward the common goal of strengthening public safety. We will continue to work hand-in-hand with our community members to listen to and address safety concerns so that all our residents, visitors and business community not only are safe, but feel safe."

The Cook County Sheriff's office released this statement late Thursday:

"While we are still reviewing the survey, the Sheriff's Office is committed to promoting public safety in the River North Community, where we have established a Command Center and are opening a second one in November. Since 2020, the Sheriff's Police have maintained an active presence in River North, Streeterville, and nearby locations, where our officers have made thousands of contacts with residents and businesses while also making felony arrests and taking illegal firearms off the street.

"Some of the potential solutions proposed by the survey have already been successfully implemented by the Sheriff's Office, such as our Co-responder Virtual Assistance Program (CVAP), which provides immediate mental health co-response to Sheriff's Police on calls where an individual may be experiencing a mental health crisis. Since its inception in late 2020, five municipal police departments have partnered with the Sheriff's Office to utilize CVAP clinicians during calls for service in their jurisdictions, and we expect the number of communities that utilize this innovative program will continued to grow.

"Other measures proposed in the survey are things the Sheriff's Office has been requesting, such as new helicopters to enable the Sheriff's Office and other agencies in the Carjacking Taskforce to more effectively combat the scourge of carjackings that have terrorized the public. We look forward to learning more about the survey results in coming days, and will continue to work with residents, members of the business community, and private and public stakeholders to combat crime and protect the health and safety of all."