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More Cops to Patrol Lakeview Nightlife Districts Starting This Weekend

By Serena Dai | January 15, 2013 3:19pm
 The extra police detail is meant to patrol bars and confront nighttime crime.
The extra police detail is meant to patrol bars and confront nighttime crime.
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DNAinfo/Paul Biasco

LAKEVIEW — More cops devoted to policing popular nightlife areas will start working this weekend, according to Town Hall Police Cmmdr. Elias Voulgaris.

The special entertainment detail is dedicated to bars, clubs and music venues in the nightlife districts around Belmont Avenue and Clark Street, Voulgaris said. They will be uniformed and largely patrol on foot during busier weekend nights, though some may be on bike or in marked police vehicles, he noted.

The detail does not mean more officers patrolling the district overall — just a schedule change for some daytime officers, the commander said.

Entertainment policing has been a part of Voulgaris's plan since taking the job in August.

"We're not putting a Band-Aid on this area," he told attendees at Neighborhood Safety and Sanitation meeting Monday night at the Ann Sather restaurant, stressing that the move is intended to address the problem long term.

Last week, community members at a CAPS meeting decried the attack of a 75-year-old local cleaning woman who was beaten on the way to work. Voulgaris has said he believes crime in the area can be reduced by extra policing during the nighttime hours.

The commander did not reveal the total number of cops being added to entertainment detail, citing safety concerns. 

The entertainment detail, led by Sgt. Angelo Hitiris, will also patrol during day games during Cubs season, Voulgaris said.