Report: Neighbors Frustrated As Crime Spikes In Wards Near Dangerous Areas
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Violence has become not just a problem for Chicago's most dangerous areas, but the adjoining neighborhoods as well.
As WBBM Newsradio's Nancy Harty reports, homicide rates are stable in the city's most dangerous areas, but nearby neighborhoods such as Woodlawn and Washington Park in the 20th Ward have seen a surge in violent crime, according to a review by the Chicago Tribune of data up through June 30.
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The 20th Ward has seen homicides more than double in the first six months of hits year compared with 2011, and is leading the city with 20 homicides this year, the Tribune reported. Other wards also saw major spikes, including the South Side's 9th Ward, which saw homicides jump to 10 in the first half of this year compared with six last year.
The newspaper reports some aldermen say their patience is wearing thin with police Supt. Garry McCarthy's approach of taking apart specialized units and redeploying officers.
Pointing out that McCarthy is a veteran of the New York Police Department, Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) was quoted in the Tribune as saying McCarthy's tactics are "New York strategies – not Chicago strategies – and they're not working."
Ald. Willie Cochran (20th) says some residents of his ward are so frustrated that they want police to resume stopping and frisking in their neighborhoods – even though they often complained that such practices violated their civil rights, the Tribune reports.
A police spokeswoman tells the Tribune that overall crime is down, and that murder trends are going in the right direction.
