HUMBOLDT PARK — Humboldt Park Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26th) responded to recent violence and criticism by calling for increased foot patrols in a statement to area residents released Thursday.
The alderman urged neighbors to attend a peace rally set for July 1, but he also used the opportunity to take police to task for clustering police coverage during the Puerto Rican Festival and Parade.
The alderman blamed "bunching" and called for increased foot patrols, but some residents called foul. [Provided]
In the wake of a series of recent shootings in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, Maldonado is calling for the Chicago Police Department to “shift tactics and aggressively implement foot patrols in the community,” especially in areas plagued by gang violence, the statement read.
"I want police officers to get out of their cars and not simply drive by blocks where violence has all too often threatened the well-being of residents and their families," Maldonado said, citing what he called "bunching" by officers in the neighborhood. "We need police officers who are more familiar with the area and they need to fan out and not just gather in groups inside the park.”
While the weekend-long Puerto Rican Fest was largely peaceful, a series of photos and videos captured several instances of street violence, including a shooting caught on tape, bottles being thrown at passing cars on Paseo Boricua and a row of police cars arriving to quell the tension. A few made social media rounds both during and after the annual festivities.
Shit got real on the DIV last night !!!
Posted by Roja Montana on Sunday, June 21, 2015
SHOOTING ON CAMERA: A shooting is caught on camera, after the Puerto Rican People's Day Parade in Chicago... http://abc7.ws/1GeArxRFor the stories you care about - "Like" ABC 7 Chicago!
Posted by ABC 7 Chicago on Saturday, June 20, 2015
Maldonado said he met with 12th District Commander Edward Kulbida on Monday and won assurance that the district will increase foot patrols.
But the police aren't the problem, according to East Humboldt Park Neighborhood Watch group member James Tantaro, who sent Maldonado a letter Thursday voicing mounting concerns apparent from local online discussions.
"The Puerto Rican fest should be a celebration of culture and not a place with fights, verbal assaults, gun violence and a place where I can't take my kids to as a resident of the neighborhood," Tantaro's letter, which was posted on Facebook, read. "How are you going to respond?"
In a message to DNAinfo Chicago, Tantaro said "there is a ton of negativity and anger with our current alderman. The police are doing a great job," he said.
Tantaro said that the alderman is "driving out economic development and opportunities for business growth and job creation," adding that the development could help quell violence.
"Our alderman is burying his head in the sand," he said.
In the emailed statement, Maldonado urged constituents to call the police and his office with crime complaints in order to "win back the peace we deserve for our families and our neighborhoods."
A Parents for Peace and Justice vigil in response to the recent spate of violence is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 1 at the corner of Division Street and California Avenue.
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