Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Mother of the accused mugger tells her side

October 31, 2006
Jemelle Lloyd, 17, is described by his mother as a good kid. A senior at the Chicago Military Academy in Bronzeville, Lloyd has cleared the hurdle that trips up too many African-American males.

Lloyd is also captain of his high school basketball team and calls his ailing mother twice a day.

So how, then, did Lloyd end up being charged with the attempted robbery of a University of Chicago student in Hyde Park last Friday?

His mother, Suzette Lloyd, blames the green-and-yellow sweats her son was wearing at the time of his arrest. It was identical to the outfits worn by five other Bronzeville students also charged in this incident.

If that's the case, it wouldn't be the first time that a black man has been swept up into a lineup because he "looks like" the suspect.

But a spokesman for the Chicago Police Department said Lloyd was part of a group of teens who "struck" a University of Chicago student in the "back of his head," and when the young man fell to the ground, they "struck his head and body with their feet and fists."

The other students also charged with attempted robbery are Van Epinger, 17; Michael Pleasants, 17, and Lawrence Gardner, 17. Two others, Armani Carson, 18; and Alexander Tolks, 18, are being sought by police.

On Monday, the mother tearfully explained her understanding of what transpired before her son's arrest.

Apparently, three of the teens are childhood friends and members of their high school basketball team. The group hitched a ride with another student from 35th and Giles (where the school is located) to the Hyde Park area because "that's as far as the student was going," Lloyd's mother told me.

"My son started calling me between 3:30 and 3:45 p.m," she said. "We talked and all of a sudden, the phone went dead."

$5 demanded, then an attack
Lloyd was supposed to catch the No. 15 bus to his home in the 6900 block of East End. His mother called his cell phone until a police officer answered.

"He told me my son was being arrested," she said, crying. "I could hear him in the background telling the police officer that I had had a stroke," she said.

Lloyd was eventually taken to 26th and California.

"He called me at 3 a.m. the next morning and said "Mama, I swear to you. I didn't do this," the mother said.

A police spokesman verified that Lloyd has no police record.

Even so, his bond is $50,000, which means his mother has to put up $5,000 to get him out of Cook County Jail.

Parents of the three other teens have already posted bonds.

"I don't have that kind of money," Suzette Lloyd said on Monday. She and other family members are trying to scrape up money to get Jemelle a lawyer.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Military Academy principal is promising to take disciplinary action against the teens.

I don't know whether Lloyd is innocent or guilty. Unless the other teens admit guilt and exonerate Lloyd of any involvement, he will likely end up with a record.

And why?

According to police, the teens demanded $5 before allegedly attacking the university student.

Five measly dollars.

It will cost each of these parents at least 1,000 times that amount if they stand a chance of keeping these students out of the criminal justice system.

Whoever assaulted the university student has been looking at far too many rap videos and listening to too many gangsta CDs.

This is real life outside of black neighborhoods.

Shamed parents, community
The University of Chicago has its own police department, which includes a robbery mission team.

After several incidents last year in which university students were attacked by groups of teens, police are vigilant about safety, as they should be.

In this instance, the victim was able to give a description of the offenders because allegedly they were all wearing the same color and type of clothing -- sweats bearing their school's logo.

If Lloyd was wrongfully snatched up from the street because he was identified as being with the group solely because of his clothing, I sincerely hope he gets help defending himself.

Because the people who committed this idiotic crime are going to have to pay for acting like as---.

They shamed themselves, their parents, their school and a community that continues to support young men like them.

Worse than that, they are killing their mothers.

Friday, October 27, 2006

Maroon: Crime Report 10/23 to 10/26

October 23, 10:30 p.m.—Two men in their late 20s robbed a 25-year-old man at the East 57th Street Metra Station. The victim was waiting for a train when a man approached him, said he had a gun, and demanded the victim’s money. The victim gave up his wallet and cell phone while a second offender kept a lookout. After searching the victim’s backpack, both offenders jumped onto the tracks and ran south. U of C Police and Chicago Police spotted one of the suspects, Anthony Polk, on the Metra tracks and arrested him. Polk resides on the 6800 block of South Merrill.

October 24, 2 p.m.—Three teenagers robbed a 22-year-old man on the 5400 block of South Blackstone Avenue. The victim said he was approached by three men, one of whom displayed a handgun. After searching his pockets and taking a cell phone, the three offenders ran south. The victim described the offenders as black males, aged 15, 16, and 19, all around 5-foot-7 and wearing black jackets. The 16-year-old was wearing a gray hood, and the 19-year-old was wearing a black skullcap.
October 24, 7:50 p.m.—An unidentified man tried to rob a 22-year-old man on the 1100 block of East 54th Street. The offender grabbed the victim from behind, and told the victim that he had a gun and that the victim should hand over everything he had. The victim said he did not have anything of value, and the offender fled in an unidentified direction.
October 25, 9:45 p.m.—Two male teenagers robbed a 21-year-old woman on the 5400 block of South Kimbark Avenue. The victim reports that two men wearing ski masks and dark clothing ran out of Nichols Park. One of them, wielding a handgun, told her to get on her knees. The offenders then took her watch and purse and ran back through the park. According to the victim’s reports, the attackers were between 16 and 18 years old and between 130 and 140 pounds.
October 25, 10:25 p.m.—An armed robbery occurred on the 1100 block of East 54th Street. The victim, a 26-year-old man, reported being approached from behind by two black men in their early 20s, both around 5-foot-10 and 130 pounds. The first offender pointed a handgun at the victim while the second went through the victim’s pockets. After taking the man’s backpack, the first offender struck the victim on the face. Both offenders fled east on 54th Street.
October 26, 2:54 a.m.—A man attempted to rob a 22-year-old woman on the 1300 block of East 56th Street. The woman was walking alone when she was quickly cut off by a dark-colored van. A man jumped out of the vehicle, brandishing a shiny blunt object. He grabbed her and demanded that she hand over her money. A struggle ensued. The victim kicked the attacker, fought with him, fled down the street, and quickly flagged down a police car. The victim described the offender as a 30-year-old black man with “large eyes,” around 5-foot-8 and 148 pounds, and wearing a dark hat with dark pants. Police are currently investigating.

Permanent URL: http://maroon.uchicago.edu/online_edition/?p=1447 zip code: 60615 Hyde Park

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Maroon: Youths steal from teams playing on Midway

Thieves target IM games

By Sara Jerome

Tuesday, October 24th, 2006

A series of thefts on the Midway during intramural (IM) sports has prompted the housing office to alert resident staff about the crime pattern, which has spanned the past several weeks.

“Apparently groups of youths have used a tactic in which one of the youths distracts the IM participants, while others in the group snatch any unattended items,” said Jim Wessel, assistant director of the Office of Undergraduate Student Housing, in an e-mail to resident staff that has since been forwarded to IM sports representatives.

Wessel said that the U of C Police Department (UCPD) has been alerted to the problem and “will continue to patrol the Midway area.” He noted that houses can request safety talks from Sergeant JoCathy Roberts at the UCPD.

Wessel and Roberts were not available to provide further comment.

Third-year Janelle Pisarik, who frequently participates in IM sports, was a victim of this type of theft during an IM football game in fall of 2004.

“We all put our stuff in a pile and some little kids grabbed things and ran,” Pisarik said.

In her case, however, the team’s “super fast runner,” fourth-year Jack Song, decided to chase down the culprits.

“He chased the kids from the Midway all the way to Washington Park,” she said. “He was able to tail them long enough that the cops could catch them.”

Pisarik said that the students retrieved their money, but not their IDs or wallets. Since then, she said, “I only bring my ID with me and leave it in a pocket.”

As part of enhancing security, some IM participants have delegated team members to guard items during the games.

Sheila Yarbrough, the associate dean of student services, said that theft is a reality at the University.

“Theft does occur on our campus. We are an open community and property left unattended is often taken,” Yarbrough said. “This happens in dining areas, the libraries, and in other places where students gather.”

Yarbrough added that the University has taken several steps to deal with theft, including a “gotcha” program run by the UCPD. According to Yarbrough, UCPD officers put stickers on items that are often left unattended, such as laptops.

“The point of the sticker is that if the property was left unattended long enough for a sticker to be placed on the item, the property was left long enough to be taken,” Yarbrough said.

She said that students are also warned about personal security each year during Orientation Week, emphasizing that “police reports should be filed immediately when thefts occur.”

Permanent URL: http://maroon.uchicago.edu/online_edition/?p=1428  zip code: 60615 location: Hyde Park, Chicago

Multiple Violent Masked Muggings near University

At 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 24, and 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.on Wednesday, October 25, in an area between University and Kimbark Avenues, from 54th to 56th Streets, there have been three incidents in which individuals walking alone have been confronted by two masked men who were armed and demanded and took valuables.  In two of these cases the victims were forced to the ground.  In the other, the victim was struck in the face.  Police believe that it is likely that the same offenders are involved in all three of these incidents.  A fourth incident that occurred at 8:50 p.m., Friday, October 20 on 58th Street between University and Woodlawn Avenues is similar and may also be part of this pattern.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Armed Driveby Mugging 56th and Univerrsity

*At 10:30 p.m., Tuesday, October 24, on South University Avenue between
55th and 56th Streets, a man was confronted by two armed men wearing ski
masks who had been hiding behind some bushes. They ordered him to lie
down, took his valuables, and fled to a nearby four door vehicle that
looked like either a Cadillac or Buick and which was driven by a third
man. The victim was not hurt. *

Woman found murdered at Twin Towers

By Ron Magers - Link to ABC7 Article
Watch the video
- A woman has been murdered inside a high-rise in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. Police discovered the body of 39-year-old Janice Ordidge after she didn't show up for work. She had been strangled. Police are looking for leads in the case as relatives and friends try to cope with their loss. The woman's body was found Monday in the bathroom of her high rise apartment at 1649 E. 50th St. (Twin Towers Apartments) She worked as a scheduler at Northwestern's Prentiss Women's Hospital. Employees there became worried when she didn't show up for work.

"She was the kind who would call if she was 10 minutes late," said Lara Olmos, co-worker.

Police were asked to check on Ordidge. They went to her apartment Monday afternoon and found her in the bathtub. The medical examiner is calling it a strangulation homicide. There were no signs of forced entry.

There is no video surveillance in the building, but there is security.

"There's security at night, two security guys and in the day you have to be buzzed in," said Papa Ndiaye, doorman.

Some residents say the building management didn't notify them of the killing-- and they are upset.

"There should have been notification. This is very serious, for someone so close to us and we not know about it," said Dashara Wells, neighbor.

"We live here, and if there needs to be security, I don't know but something should have been done," said Marissa Petersen, neighbor.

Ordidge was one of five sisters. They say she was amicably divorced and that her former husband lives in England. They also say she had a new boyfriend but there had been no indication of trouble.

"She's the most beautiful person you ever wanted to meet," said Mary Lambert, victim's sister. "She loved life and enjoyed life, so to know her is to love her."

Police have not said whether they have any leads in the case.

Janice Ordidge knew the dangers of living alone in a big city, even in her relatively safe Hyde Park neighborhood.

She lived across the street from one sister, next door to another -- and the three were watchful over one another as they came and went.

Now her family is trying to figure out what happened over the weekend inside her 13th-floor apartment. Ordidge, a nurse at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, was found Monday afternoon strangled to death in her bathtub.

Ordidge, who lived in the 1600 block of East 50th Street, last spoke with her family Saturday morning when she asked one of her sisters to go shopping downtown. Her sister said she couldn't go -- and they never heard from Ordidge again, said another sister, Loretta Lambert-Shamley, 45.

On Sunday, a phone call to Ordidge from one of her sisters went unanswered, which was unusual. On Monday, Ordidge failed to show for work.

"Her job is her life," said Lambert-Shamley. "Jan is one of those ones who you have to tell to take a vacation."

The family went to the building and asked a manager to open the door. The manager called Ordidge's name and checked the living room and bedroom, but found nothing. Police then arrived and did a more thorough search.

"She had been hidden in the bathtub," Lambert-Shamley said.

No sign of forced entry
Chicago Police are still investigating whether anything was taken from her apartment, but there was no sign of forced entry, Wentworth Area Cmdr. Patricia Walsh said.

"We are all in shock down here," said Lambert-Shamley, who lives in Memphis. "She was such a safe person. Everything was always about security. She was a single woman in Chicago. . . . I am just wondering if someone walked in and surprised her."

Ordidge, 39, worked at the downtown hospital for eight years, a spokeswoman said. She was married but had been separated from her husband for a few years, her sister said. He lives in New York, and Ordidge had plans to follow him there but abruptly decided not to, her sister said. She never offered an explanation.

One of 10 siblings, Ordidge was born in Chicago. The family moved to Aurora when she was 9. She graduated from East Aurora High School.

Ordidge considered being a chef before settling on nursing as a career.

NBC5 Article - Video

Janit Ordidge's Windows Were All Open, Heat Turned Off

POSTED: 6:43 pm CDT October 24, 2006

UPDATED: 7:29 am CDT October 25, 2006
A popular employee at Prentiss Women's Hospital is found strangled in her Hyde Park apartment.At first, Chicago Police thought it was a suicide. Now, it's a murder case.

Police arrived at the scene and all of Janet Ordidge's windows were open and the heat had been turned off for days. But they didn't notice any trauma to her body. Late Tuesday afternoon, the Cook County medical examiner ruled her death a homicide, saying she was strangled.Ordidge never missed a day of work. She was never even late. So when she didn't show up as a surgical scheduler at PWH, friends and family thought the worst.Ordidge lived alone at the Twin Towers apartment complex in Hyde Park.The medical examiner said Ordidge's body was badly beaten she was left for dead in her bathtub.When the janitor conducted a well-being check, he found all the windows open in her 13th floor apartment and the heat was turned off.Records show the last cell phone call made was at 12:18 Saturday afternoon.That night, she was supposed to go out with her new boyfriend -- a Chicago police officer. Friends said they had been dating for the past month.According to sources, her new boyfriend spoke with police Monday by phone.There were no signs of forced entry and the only item police said is missing is her wallet.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Drive By Mugging 58th and Woodlawn

At 8:50 p.m., Friday, October 20, on East 58th Street between
University and Woodlawn Avenues, a woman was walking when a silver and
gray four door Jeep Commander pulled up and two armed men got out. They
demanded and took the woman's purse, returned to the van which was
driven by a third man, and drove away. The victim was not hurt.

Hyde Park Assets

A recent and creative music video tour of Hyde Park. Certainly worth a watch!

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Perspectives on Crime in Hyde Park

More on a series of the polar perspectives about Hyde Park. Michael Kremer points out to an interested party:
Re safety: Again, it all depends on where you're coming from. It's the city. Bad things happen. Bad things have happened to people I know. But it's not a really really scary place, unless all US cities are scary to you.

Anyway, where I live (and ditto for 55th and Dorchester) having a car is not going to prevent you from having to walk in Hyde Park at night, since at night you often will end up parking three blocks away from home.

If you want a sense of the frequency of crime in Hyde Park, go to https://listhost.uchicago.edu/pipermail/safety-awareness/ and look through the monthly threads for "safety awareness alerts". But just remember there are something like 50,000 people in Hyde Park/Kenwood and also note that most of the crime happens outside the area you're likely to frequent most of the time.

I suspect the crime you're most likely to be a victim of while in Hyde Park is actually: motor vehicle theft.

The last bit is ironic, considering the answer is in response to a question about whether a car is necessary in Hyde Park. In response, "Sam" points out:
-you may get mugged, but they won't hurt you. don't carry a lot of cash.

Oct 4: University Police arrest Daytime Mugger

Not sure exactly what he did while in Hyde Park, but on Oct 4 it was reported that University Police apparently arrested a man that had been on a strange, multi-town mugging spree:

Homewood police said Tuesday that they have nabbed a puzzling daylight bandit who robbed four people at gunpoint in four separate towns.

Puzzling, they say, because of the items he stole from his victims -- including a school backpack, a set of keys and a lunchbox.

"I don't know, maybe he was hungry," Deputy Police Chief James Gannon said.

The man, believed to be in his 20s, was arrested by University of Chicago Police on Tuesday afternoon, and charges were pending.

More...

UC Study: Does crime contribute to cancer?

According to a Tribune article, a study at the U of C is looking into the relationship between stress (perhaps related to crime) and sponetanous mutations associated with cancer:
At the University of Chicago, meanwhile, a large federally funded study is under way to look at social factors that might bring about biological changes that lead to breast cancer. The team includes specialists in the medical, biological, behavioral and social sciences.
...
"Between 70 and 80 percent of all breast cancers are due to sporadic mutations, not inherited mutations. That means it's things that happen in the environment," Gehlert said.
"We think that if you live in really adverse circumstances in a neighborhood with a lot of crime, so the threat's always there, you'll be afraid to go out and will develop what we call a dysregulated stress response," she said. "And you'll be more likely to have spontaneous mutations of the breast cancer genes."
More...

HPH: Crime Report 10/5 to 10/10

 Posted by Picasa

HPH: Burglars hit Hyde Park

 Posted by Picasa

Detailed Crime Report: 10/6 to 10/12


Date
PrimarySecondaryLocationARDOBlock
Street

10/6/06 2:00:00 AM
THEFTFROM BUILDINGApartmentNN57XX
HARPER AVE

10/6/06 7:00:00 AM
BURGLARYFORCIBLE ENTRYResidenceNN50XX
WOODLAWN AVE

10/6/06 10:00:00 AM
THEFTOVER $300StreetNN52XX
PAYNE DR

10/6/06 5:00:00 PM
MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTAUTOMOBILEStreetNN13XX
HYDE PARK BLVD

10/6/06 6:00:00 PM
THEFTFROM BUILDINGCommercial / Business OfficeNN15XX
55TH ST

10/6/06 7:30:00 PM
THEFTRETAIL THEFTDrug StoreYN50XX
COTTAGE GROVE AVE

10/6/06 9:00:00 PM
CRIMINAL DAMAGETO PROPERTYResidenceNN14XX
56TH ST

10/6/06 10:30:00 PM
MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTAUTOMOBILEStreetNN10XX
55TH ST

10/7/06 12:05:00 AM
THEFT$300 AND UNDERRestaurantNN53XX
DORCHESTER AVE

10/7/06 3:30:00 AM
BURGLARYUNLAWFUL ENTRYResidenceNN52XX
WOODLAWN AVE

10/7/06 9:25:00 AM
OTHER OFFENSEHARASSMENT BY TELEPHONEApartmentNN55XX
BLACKSTONE AVE

10/7/06 1:15:00 PM
THEFTOVER $300AlleyNN52XX
DREXEL AVE

10/7/06 7:00:00 PM
THEFTOVER $300StreetNN14XX
55TH ST

10/7/06 7:43:00 PM
OTHER OFFENSETELEPHONE THREATSmall Retail StoreNY14XX
HYDE PARK BLVD

10/7/06 10:00:00 PM
BURGLARYUNLAWFUL ENTRYResidenceNN53XX
WOODLAWN AVE

10/7/06 11:30:00 PM
ASSAULTSIMPLEParking Lot/Garage(Non.Resid.)NN16XX
55TH ST

10/8/06 2:30:00 PM
THEFTOVER $300StreetNN60XX
ELLIS AVE

10/8/06 4:00:00 PM
CRIMINAL DAMAGETO VEHICLEStreetNN11XX
50TH ST

10/8/06 6:30:00 PM
CRIMINAL DAMAGETO VEHICLEStreetNN8XX
56TH ST

10/8/06 6:30:00 PM
CRIMINAL DAMAGETO VEHICLEStreetNN8XX
56TH ST

10/8/06 7:30:00 PM
BATTERYAGGRAVATED: OTHER DANG WEAPONPark PropertyNN52XX
PAYNE DR

10/8/06 8:50:00 PM
DECEPTIVE PRACTICEFRAUD OR CONFIDENCE GAMEResidenceNN51XX
BLACKSTONE AVE

10/8/06 9:05:00 PM
ROBBERYSTRONGARM - NO WEAPONStreetNN47XX
WOODLAWN AVE

10/9/06 2:10:00 AM
ASSAULTSIMPLEApartmentNN54XX
CORNELL AVE

10/9/06 7:00:00 AM
THEFTOVER $300StreetNN55XX
COTTAGE GROVE AVE

10/9/06 11:30:00 AM
BURGLARYFORCIBLE ENTRYApartmentNN47XX
WOODLAWN AVE

10/9/06 4:50:00 PM
ASSAULTSIMPLEStreetNN17XX
53RD ST

10/9/06 5:30:00 PM
THEFT$300 AND UNDEROtherNN52XX
PAYNE DR

10/9/06 8:00:00 PM
BURGLARYFORCIBLE ENTRYApartmentNN56XX
KIMBARK AVE

10/9/06 9:00:00 PM
CRIMINAL DAMAGETO PROPERTYResidenceNN54XX
GREENWOOD AVE
See this post for details.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Account of mugging witness

pleasurepallas witnessed the September 15 mugging of a woman by men who got away in a gold cadillac (originally reported here):
So I just thought I'd let everyone know that on my way to the studio tonite (as in, like 5 minutes ago), I saw my very first Hyde Park mugging. These three guys sprinted across the road and hopped into a golden Cadillac. Then a woman rounded the corner screaming that they'd stolen her purse. The perps got away, but at least about four witnesses got the license plate number. I'm ashamed to say that I did nothing. In my defense, I was in my own world and had my headphones on, so I was a little out of it. By the time I realized what was going on, it was way too late to do anything. I froze. I got scared. I'm too young and pretty to die. But I feel horrible. But what could I have done, honestly? Affront four felons with no weaponry or knowledge of their state. The lady as banged up pretty bad and crying. I feel horrible....this sort of thing evidently happens on a more-than-daily basis here. So now I have to try and get some work done, but I can't stop thinking about it.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

The Big Idea: GSB to redevelop Hyde Park?

From GSB Online:
What was running through your mind the first time you drove west on 59th street towards the Dan Ryan? Or the first time you walked a few blocks south of the Midway? Chances are it was something along the lines of "are my doors locked?" or "look straight ahead� don't make eye contact...." or perhaps you simply found yourself in a pensive state of disbelief, saying "how can this neighborhood be so close to one of the finest educational institutions in the world?"

Hyde Park, which at one time was one of Chicago's most affluent communities, is now, shall I say, not so much. Once inside the confines of the HPC it's easy to forget about what you just saw. Images of boarded up windows, graffiti, and broken glass are replaced by study rooms with 42" flat panel monitors, pool tables in the student lounge, and the impressive modern architecture of the Winter Garden. The dichotomy between these two environments is striking and inherently disturbing. It is this situation that we need to address in a more proactive manner. After experiencing the emotions described above, I held several informal conversations with fellow students harboring similar emotions. Subsequent to these conversations, I put some thought into avenues the GSB could pursue to make a difference in the community behind our front door step. It was this process that spawned my "Big Idea."

Chicago GSB is comprised of accomplished, intelligent, and motivated individuals with wonderfully diverse backgrounds. We have individuals with practical experience in the fields of economics, public policy, marketing, finance, strategy, education, and real estate development to name just a few. This combination of intelligence and experience is exactly what is needed to help expedite the redevelopment Hyde Park. While I'm sure that some fine people work for the City of Chicago, I don't think it's presumptuous to say that the intellectual firepower we bring to the table exceeds that of the city government. As such, I suggest that we create a class/program at the GSB that is focused on the redevelopment of Hyde Park and its surrounding communities.
continued...

WhistleSTOP

From the Lawrence Journal-World:

Many years ago, when I lived in a University of Chicago neighborhood (Hyde Park), a rash of personal street crimes broke out similar to what we are experiencing near the Kansas University campus. The neighborhood association started a program called “Whistle Stop,” which had been used successfully in other cities. We purchased hundreds of steel whistles that were sold for cost through neighborhood merchants. The program was approved by the police department.

We wore the whistles on lanyards or carried them in hand at night on the street. When experiencing or witnessing a crime, the whistle was repeatedly blown. Those hearing the whistle would also blow their own, including those in homes who would call the police and open their windows and blow away. There were a few just-for-fun whistle blows, but everyone understood the seriousness of the program and the false alarms quickly ceased.

There were many reports of aborted robbery attempts, and the street-crime rate rapidly decreased... continued
WhistleSTOP is once again being revitalized and expanded in Hyde Park. I have never heard or seen a whistle while living here. What are people's experiences with the whistles? If I blew a whistle (or yelled for help), what are the chances help would arrive?

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Detailed Crime Report: Oct 4 - Oct 5


Date
PrimarySecondaryLocationARDOBlock
Street

10/4/06 12:04:00 AM
OTHER OFFENSEOBSCENE TELEPHONE CALLSResidenceNN55XX
CORNELL AVE

10/4/06 2:00:00 AM
BURGLARYUNLAWFUL ENTRYApartmentNN52XX
WOODLAWN AVE

10/4/06 2:30:00 AM
BATTERYAGGRAVATED DOMESTIC BATTERY: OTHER DANG WEAPONApartmentNY60XX
HARPER AVE

10/4/06 2:55:00 AM
ROBBERYARMED: HANDGUNAlleyNN55XX
CORNELL AVE

10/4/06 3:05:00 AM
CRIMINAL DAMAGETO VEHICLEParking Lot/Garage(Non.Resid.)YN16XX
50TH ST

10/4/06 1:30:00 PM
BATTERYAGGRAVATED: OTHER DANG WEAPONOtherNN54XX
LAKE PARK AVE

10/4/06 2:00:00 PM
BATTERYSIMPLEStreetNN15XX
53RD ST

10/4/06 5:00:00 PM
BURGLARYFORCIBLE ENTRYApartmentNN54XX
ELLIS AVE

10/4/06 6:00:00 PM
MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTAUTOMOBILEOtherNN55XX
SHORE DR

10/4/06 6:00:00 PM
THEFTFROM BUILDINGLibraryNN11XX
59TH ST

10/4/06 7:00:00 PM
NON-CRIMINALLOST PROPERTYRestaurantNN12XX
53RD ST

10/4/06 9:00:00 PM
THEFT$300 AND UNDERResidence Porch/HallwayNN54XX
UNIVERSITY AVE

10/4/06 10:00:00 PM
BURGLARYUNLAWFUL ENTRYResidence-GarageNN54XX
UNIVERSITY AVE

10/4/06 11:30:00 PM
THEFTFROM BUILDINGTavern/Liquor StoreNN18XX
55TH ST

10/4/06 11:45:00 PM
NON-CRIMINALDEATHResidenceNN55XX
CORNELL AVE

10/5/06 8:30:00 AM
DECEPTIVE PRACTICECREDIT CARD FRAUDHospital Building/GroundsNN58XX
MARYLAND AVE

10/5/06 12:00:00 PM
ASSAULTSIMPLEApartmentNY61XX
WOODLAWN AVE

10/5/06 4:30:00 PM
BATTERYDOMESTIC BATTERY SIMPLEApartmentNY16XX
62ND ST

10/5/06 5:00:00 PM
THEFTFROM BUILDINGRestaurantNN10XX
55TH ST
See this post for details about how this report was generated.

Essay: Ain’t It Beautiful (This Nightly Scream)

An excerpt from an essay, Ain’t It Beautiful (This Nightly Scream), by the wanderer:

With each breath, the scream descends by octaves until it’s little more than a throaty moan, then rises again. I see no one. A cop car creeps by at the other end of the park, but its occupant either cannot hear what goes on outside or feigns oblivion.

Further into the park, my eyes scan the darkness. Just outside the orange splotches of the streetlights that line the path in front of me, I see the outline of a man cowering in a patch of darkness. He is on his knees. Both his hands clasp the iron rods of a low fence that marks the end of the park. He screams and he screams, and for a moment my steps miss a beat. Even though I should know better, I slow down after all, then stop right in front of him. He raises his head in agony, rattles the fence with his shaking arms, and even in the shadows I can see the white of his wide open eyes, the white of his bared teeth. He does not, I think, see me.

I can hear now what he is screaming. “Please, no. Oh please, please. No.”

As I look down at the man, in my head I hear a whisper that I have heard many times since I moved to this area, louder each time. I shut it out. I need to think.

This area of Hyde Park is quite handsome during the day with its old trees now turning autumnally yellow and red, its elegant brownstones, its elaborate townhouses. But at night, the ghetto just to the north spills over into the nicer university district, and the haggard wander the streets asking for money, for cigarettes, sometimes barely conscious at all, mumbling through rotten teeth and matted hair. Sometimes AIDS has eaten their bodies to skeletons. Sometimes they just sway, blank-eyed, sweating in the throes of a tired high. If they can no longer ask for money, they curse silently or just stare. I step over collapsed bodies often in the doorway to my apartment building when I walk home from a late night at the library.

The whisper, a snippet of words that wafts forth from somewhere in my memory, started nagging me during the first few days that I came to Hyde Park, but I’ve only been hearing what it says since last week.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Hyde Park Man Settles for $1 million with city over false confession

Corethian Bell was known to Hyde Parkers for selling incense, the newspaper Streetwise and washing windshields. Several Hyde Parkers helped him to get out of jail after he confessed on video to murdering his mother, who lived in Washington Park, in July, 2002, but DNA tests showed he was innocent and another man guilty. Now, he has settled with the city for $1 million dollars(Sun Times) over his 17 month wrongful improsonement. (Tribune Link)

HPH: Sept 28 - Oct4 Crime Report

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HPH: Attempted mugging at Metra station

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Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Detailed Crime Report: 9/27 to 10/3

This data is from Citizen ICAM.

Beat: 2131 District: 021

Start Date: 9/27/2006
End Date: 10/3/2006
Address: 1300 E 55TH STREET
Search Radius: 1 Mile
Crime Type: ALL


Type of CrimeCount
PERSON12
ROBBERY6
ASSAULT2
BATTERY3
WEAPONS VIOLATION1
PROPERTY31
DECEPTIVE PRACTICE4
THEFT15
CRIMINAL TRESPASS2
BURGLARY5
CRIMINAL DAMAGE5
PERSON (Domestic)9
ASSAULT3
BATTERY6
PROPERTY (Domestic)1
CRIMINAL DAMAGE1
UNDETERMINED3
PUBLIC PEACE VIOLATION1
OTHER OFFENSE1
NON-CRIMINAL1
TOTAL CRIMES56

Details of Crimes

Date
PrimarySecondaryLocationAr
re
st
Do
me
sti
c
BlockDirStreet

9/27/06
DECEPTIVE PRACTICECOUNTERFEITING DOCUMENTCommercial / Business OfficeNN51XXSDORCHESTER AVE

9/27/06 10:00:00 AM
THEFTFROM BUILDINGCommercial / Business OfficeNN61XXSKENWOOD AVE

9/27/06 10:20:00 AM
THEFTOVER $300Park PropertyNN52XXSPAYNE DR

9/27/06 11:05:00 AM
CRIMINAL TRESPASSTO LANDSchool, Public, BuildingYN58XXSELLIS AVE

9/27/06 11:25:00 AM
PUBLIC PEACE VIOLATIONBOMB THREATSchool, Public, BuildingNN50XXSBLACKSTONE AVE

9/27/06 12:00:00 PM
THEFTFINANCIAL ID THEFT: OVER $300ResidenceNN16XXE55TH ST

9/27/06 12:00:00 PM
DECEPTIVE PRACTICECREDIT CARD FRAUDSmall Retail StoreNN9XXE58TH ST

9/27/06 1:20:00 PM
THEFTRETAIL THEFTRestaurantYN9XXE58TH ST

9/27/06 4:00:00 PM
THEFTFROM BUILDINGOtherNN61XXSGREENWOOD AVE

9/27/06 10:20:00 PM
ROBBERYATTEMPT: STRONGARM-NO WEAPONStreetNN52XXSUNIVERSITY AVE

9/27/06 11:00:00 PM
THEFTOVER $300StreetNN54XXSHYDE PARK BLVD

9/27/06 11:00:00 PM
ROBBERYAGGRAVATED VEHICULAR HIJACKINGStreetNN53XXSGREENWOOD AVE

9/28/06 1:00:00 AM
BURGLARYFORCIBLE ENTRYResidence-GarageNN55XXSELLIS AVE

9/28/06 4:45:00 AM
ROBBERYSTRONGARM - NO WEAPONHospital Building/GroundsNN58XXSMARYLAND AVE

9/28/06 5:45:00 AM
ASSAULTSIMPLEApartmentNY52XXSHARPER AVE

9/28/06 7:32:00 AM
CRIMINAL TRESPASSTO LANDHospital Building/GroundsYN58XXSMARYLAND AVE

9/28/06 8:00:00 PM
BURGLARYFORCIBLE ENTRYResidence-GarageNN52XXSGREENWOOD AVE

9/28/06 10:00:00 PM
THEFT$300 AND UNDERStreetNN13XXE62ND ST

9/29/06 6:20:17 AM
CRIMINAL DAMAGETO PROPERTYResidenceNY51XXSKIMBARK AVE

9/29/06 9:00:00 AM
THEFTOVER $300StreetNN12XXE59TH ST

9/29/06 4:05:00 PM
DECEPTIVE PRACTICECREDIT CARD FRAUDGas StationNN51XXSCORNELL AVE

9/29/06 6:00:00 PM
ROBBERYATTEMPT: ARMED-HANDGUNSidewalkYN15XXE59TH ST

9/29/06 7:25:00 PM
THEFTOVER $300StreetNN54XXSPAYNE DR

9/29/06 7:30:00 PM
BATTERYDOMESTIC BATTERY SIMPLEResidenceNY51XXSKENWOOD AVE

9/29/06 9:00:00 PM
CRIMINAL DAMAGETO VEHICLEStreetNN62XXSKENWOOD AVE

9/29/06 11:38:00 PM
CRIMINAL DAMAGETO PROPERTYResidenceYN55XXSHARPER AVE

9/29/06 11:56:00 PM
CRIMINAL DAMAGETO VEHICLEStreetNN54XXSKIMBARK AVE

9/30/06 1:40:00 AM
ASSAULTSIMPLEResidenceNY51XXSBLACKSTONE AVE

9/30/06 9:00:00 AM
THEFTOVER $300StreetNN54XXSPAYNE DR

9/30/06 1:40:00 PM
BATTERYAGGRAVATED DOMESTIC BATTERY: KNIFE/CUTTING INSTResidenceNY9XXEHYDE PARK BLVD

9/30/06 4:25:00 PM
ASSAULTAGGRAVATED: OTHER DANG WEAPONStreetNN54XXSBLACKSTONE AVE

9/30/06 4:45:00 PM
BATTERYDOMESTIC BATTERY SIMPLEStreetNY51XXSLAKE PARK AVE

9/30/06 5:10:00 PM
DECEPTIVE PRACTICECOUNTERFEITING DOCUMENTRestaurantNN52XXSLAKE PARK AVE

9/30/06 10:00:00 PM
CRIMINAL DAMAGETO VEHICLEStreetNN52XXSUNIVERSITY AVE

9/30/06 10:15:00 PM
THEFT$300 AND UNDERStreetNN57XXSCOTTAGE GROVE AVE

9/30/06 10:45:00 PM
BURGLARYFORCIBLE ENTRYApartmentNN13XXE54TH ST

9/30/06 11:00:00 PM
THEFTOVER $300StreetNN52XXSCORNELL AVE

10/1/06 12:14:16 AM
BURGLARYFORCIBLE ENTRYResidenceNN53XXSGREENWOOD AVE

10/1/06 2:45:00 AM
BATTERYAGG PO HANDS NO/MIN INJURYResidence Porch/HallwayNN55XXSCORNELL AVE

10/1/06 8:00:00 AM
ROBBERYARMED: HANDGUNStreetNN11XXE59TH ST

10/1/06 10:00:00 AM
CRIMINAL DAMAGETO VEHICLEStreetNN55XXSEVERETT AVE

10/1/06 12:12:00 PM
THEFTPURSE-SNATCHINGStreetNN52XXSINGLESIDE AVE

10/1/06 12:30:00 PM
BATTERYDOMESTIC BATTERY SIMPLESidewalkNY55XXSWOODLAWN AVE

10/1/06 6:10:00 PM
ASSAULTSIMPLEApartmentNY55XXSCORNELL AVE

10/1/06 9:00:00 PM
BATTERYSIMPLEPark PropertyNN51XXSPAYNE DR

10/1/06 10:25:00 PM
ROBBERYARMED: HANDGUNSidewalkNN53XXSBLACKSTONE AVE

10/1/06 10:30:00 PM
BATTERYDOMESTIC BATTERY SIMPLEApartmentYY50XXSEAST END AVE

10/2/06 5:33:00 AM
ASSAULTSIMPLEApartmentNN53XXSCORNELL AVE

10/2/06 10:10:00 AM
THEFT$300 AND UNDERStreetNN14XXE55TH ST

10/2/06 10:15:00 AM
BATTERYDOMESTIC BATTERY SIMPLEResidenceYY52XXSINGLESIDE AVE

10/2/06 10:30:00 AM
BURGLARYUNLAWFUL ENTRYApartmentNN12XXE52ND ST

10/2/06 11:45:00 AM
WEAPONS VIOLATIONUNLAWFUL USE OTHER DANG WEAPONSchool, Public, BuildingNN50XXSBLACKSTONE AVE

10/2/06 1:54:00 PM
BATTERYSIMPLESidewalkNN13XXE53RD ST

10/2/06 6:30:00 PM
THEFT$300 AND UNDERStreetNN50XXSCORNELL AVE

10/2/06 7:00:00 PM
OTHER OFFENSETELEPHONE THREATResidenceNN62XXSKIMBARK AVE

10/2/06 9:30:00 PM
NON-CRIMINALOTHER NON-CRIMINAL PROPERTYStreetNN8XXE52ND ST