KENWOOD — Wentworth District Cmdr. Terence Williams decided against sending a subordinate to an aldermanic meeting Monday and came himself to talk to Kenwood residents rattled by recent shootings.
On Monday at St. Paul and the Redeemer, 4945 S. Dorchester Ave., Williams said three recent shootings were a reaction to both the rapid expansion and leadership squabbles of the "46 Terror" gang.
“They are very violent,” Williams said. “They’re [relegated] now to fighting amongst themselves.”
He said the group, which has about 70 members from Bridgeport to Woodlawn, has seen the oldest members in their 30s want to focus on drugs while the younger members around 14- and 15-years-old would rather rob people.
The number of armed robberies has shot up dramatically in part of Kenwood, Williams said.
Williams attributed at least 24 robberies on one block to two gang members running a scheme in which a woman lures men to an apartment building in the 4700 block of South Ellis Avenue where the two teenagers are waiting to rob them.
He said all three have been arrested and are awaiting charges.
Williams said he believed there were 11 ongoing gang conflicts in the district, which includes much of Bronzeville, Kenwood, Hyde Park, Woodlawn and Washington Park. He said some of the fights involve up to five different gangs, all with various stakes in the outcome.
Despite these high-profile crimes in the district, Williams said he was battling perception more than the crime stats this summer.
“The police are more active and crimes are actually down in numbers if not perception,” Williams said.
He said that since January, Wentworth District officers have filled out 1,129 contact cards, the pocket-sized card officers fill out everytime they question someone during a stop whether an arrest is made or not. He said it was nearly double the number of contact cards for the same period last year.
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