Is the Hispanic community in Chicago mostly unaffected by violent crime? (Bridgeport: how much, neighborhoods)

[Irishtom29]

Mexicans have a strong work ethic (the Poles of the New World) and thus there are money and thriving businesses in Mexican neighborhoods.

[Chicagoland60426]

There are a couple of Mexican/hispanic hoods that can be very bad as far as gang violence is concerned. Back of the Yards/New City had a murder rate even higher than Austin and North Lawndale in 2016.

One of the differences I noticed there is less gang loitering in Hispanic communities. Less likely for there to be mass shootings/killings if hardly no one(meaning gang member) is outside. Also, the gang turfs are probably more defined
within gang-infested hispanic hoods, where they sill do some traditional turf markings such as gangs' symbols being tagged on buildings and other solid structure wherever a particular gang dominates. I've read somewhere that Little Village/South Lawndale as community is almost evenly split between one side being dominated by the Gangster Two-Six while the other is Latin King turf. If one gang cross the other side, then they risk a high chance of being shot. In poor black neighborhoods on the south side especially, rival gangs or factions can literally be a block away from another.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by ToriaT

From my experience in Berwyn which is not Chicago: Berwyn's NE tip lies just blocks from Austin, one of the worst areas in Chicago. And Berwyn has a Hispanic majority and lately has experienced some bad crime incidents including a shooting, home invasion, stabbing and armed robbery. People on social media are very much up in arms, including the Hispanic residents. I am just being honest, but most of the crimes have been committed by African Americans but I don't know who did the drive by shooting. I don't know the race of shooters or victims. This was done in the middle of the afternoon on a weekend. It seems to me crime is higher than in mostly white neighborhoods. I do know many Hispanics express a lot of concern when black people move in and they are also hostile to Section 8 and blame it for a lot of crime. My neighbor there is a young Hispanic and he expressed concern about blacks moving in and the fact that there was crime. Thie was not after we had mentioned anything he volunteered it. I'm not trying to be racist I am just saying what I have heard.

Berwyn residents seem to live in a perpetual state of "up in arms" LOL! That "Section 8" thing has been going on there literally forever. Back in the late 2000s, it even became a key issue in the local political race - with one side saying the then-current administration was bringing them in through the "Berwyn Housing Authority." The dreaded Housing Authority was actually the Oak Park Regional Housing Center, a 501(c)(3) that was trying to market the apartment stock, but whatever.

We even issued a FOIA request to the HACC and it turned out there were like 120 vouchers in the entire city of 60,000, and half of those were disabled senior citizens. That fell on deaf ears though. People will believe what they want. They will see a certain person and draw the assumptions about them that they will.

I sold my house over 4 years ago and limited my involvement so I don't know what it's like now. I did hear about the drive by and maybe it is getting bad. But if it does, at least some of that is going to be due to a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[BRU67]

I still, however, would like to see the amateur investors go into Berwyn (and the even cheaper Cicero). I'm by no means discouraging this with any of my comments. It makes a lot more sense for these individuals, many of whom are suburban-raised, than the more dicey City neighborhoods do. Cheaper, safer, more contractors available to do work, less gang activity, and the housing stock is better maintained.

[ToriaT]

I agree with you completely. Crime has actually dropped. Unfortunately the entire Chicago area has been gripped with certain crimes where none occurred before. Hell, there was a car jacking in Wheaton a few weeks ago near my house and they rolled over the victims legs after pushing him out the car at a gas station. That never happened before. Also a small gang of women thieves with a stun gun hit Victoria's Secret which was robbed twice in a week. Never happened before.
But there is a wave of summer crime that has occurred in Berwyn. The police are really good and I think they will tamp it down.

[personone]

Originally Posted by ToriaT

I agree with you completely. Crime has actually dropped. Unfortunately the entire Chicago area has been gripped with certain crimes where none occurred before. Hell, there was a car jacking in Wheaton a few weeks ago near my house and they rolled over the victims legs after pushing him out the car at a gas station. That never happened before. Also a small gang of women thieves with a stun gun hit Victoria's Secret which was robbed twice in a week. Never happened before.
But there is a wave of summer crime that has occurred in Berwyn. The police are really good and I think they will tamp it down.

Not originally being from Chicago, the one type of crime that I never heard about before moving here are the “crash and grab” crimes. I don’t understand running your car into a storefront to commit a crime. Not only is it dangerous (and probably leaves behind plenty of evidence), but it’s a nuisance for stores to have to fix afterwards. I haven’t heard about many lately but a year or two ago, it seemed like every other week you heard about them on the news. In all other places I’ve lived, I can’t recall hearing about crash and grabs (certainly not to the extent it happens here).

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by ToriaT

I agree with you completely. Crime has actually dropped. Unfortunately the entire Chicago area has been gripped with certain crimes where none occurred before. Hell, there was a car jacking in Wheaton a few weeks ago near my house and they rolled over the victims legs after pushing him out the car at a gas station. That never happened before. Also a small gang of women thieves with a stun gun hit Victoria's Secret which was robbed twice in a week. Never happened before.
But there is a wave of summer crime that has occurred in Berwyn. The police are really good and I think they will tamp it down.

Just don't pull the "it happens everywhere" thing on me ;-) I think that's a dangerous road some of the newer Berwyn residents are going down, from what I read on Facebook and hear from people who still live there. It's like it went from "OMG there's a Popeye's box and empty 2-liter grape NiHi bottle on the parkway, let's move!!!" to "oh, drive-by shootings at block parties happen everywhere, no biggie." C'mon. Middle ground please.

Anyway, the Berwyn PD does have a fast response time, so you do get something for your high taxes and generous union contracts. You also get much more responsive elected officials. Most Berwyn aldermen are accessible and return calls and e-mails. It isn't like that in the City. You have to be very persistent to get any kind of response at all from your Alderman, much less any problem actually fixed. More reasons why Berwyn is a much better fit for the novice investor.

[jonnynonos]

Originally Posted by Chicagoland60426

There are a couple of Mexican/hispanic hoods that can be very bad as far as gang violence is concerned. Back of the Yards/New City had a murder rate even higher than Austin and North Lawndale in 2016.

One of the differences I noticed there is less gang loitering in Hispanic communities. Less likely for there to be mass shootings/killings if hardly no one(meaning gang member) is outside. Also, the gang turfs are probably more defined
within gang-infested hispanic hoods, where they sill do some traditional turf markings such as gangs' symbols being tagged on buildings and other solid structure wherever a particular gang dominates. I've read somewhere that Little Village/South Lawndale as community is almost evenly split between one side being dominated by the Gangster Two-Six while the other is Latin King turf. If one gang cross the other side, then they risk a high chance of being shot. In poor black neighborhoods on the south side especially, rival gangs or factions can literally be a block away from another.

If you take a closer look at the murder rate and shootings for BOTY and NC you will see that what you wrote isn't really the story. Not blaming you for drawing that conclusion, but it is wrong.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by personone

Not originally being from Chicago, the one type of crime that I never heard about before moving here are the “crash and grab” crimes. I don’t understand running your car into a storefront to commit a crime. Not only is it dangerous (and probably leaves behind plenty of evidence), but it’s a nuisance for stores to have to fix afterwards. I haven’t heard about many lately but a year or two ago, it seemed like every other week you heard about them on the news. In all other places I’ve lived, I can’t recall hearing about crash and grabs (certainly not to the extent it happens here).

We were getting a rash of them here in Cleveland a couple years ago. Haven't heard of any lately, though.

[glass_of_merlot]

Driving home from work its like a night and day difference going from Hispanic to Black neighborhoods.
You go from seeing low income Hispanic hoods, but yet well kept communities where people care for the little they do have...to literal garbage dumps. So sad.