How safe is YOUR Chicago?

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

Actually it's not on the 3300 block of Halsted, it's all the way up on the 3700 block. It's a gay community center, and it's drawn in a lot of kids from the south and west sides who come there to get away from the issues in their own communities. Unfortunately the place closes at 10pm, the kids can't go into the bars, but since the center is right there near the thick of the nightlife the kids end up walking the streets and are joined by others. The center certainly isn't the only reason what's going on in boystown is going on, but it's one of them. Most of the kids are fine, but there are a LOT more fights, muggings and now stabbings than there ever use to be.

Sadly, I think you're correct. I noticed myself that things seemed to start going south in the Boystown area after the Center opened. I sincerely hate to say this, but I think the Center has attracted a bad element to the area. I don't even like walking past the place in the daytime.

Now, I'm sure the vast majority of the disadvantaged youth who utilize the services at the Center are not causing problems, but there's always a certain segment, a certain percentage who are bad apples. And as you've pointed out, after the Center closes for the night, some of the kids don't go straight home, but there's nothing else in the area for them to do, so they loiter and disturb the peace and sometimes end up getting into more serious trouble. And some of the nearby residents complain that the police have been less than responsive at times.

Used to be that if you were gay and went to Boystown for the evening, you only had to worry about the occasional hate crime (gay bashing). Nowadays, however, much of the violent crime is gay on gay, and I personally don't know what to make of it because I have no frame of reference for that.

[sydbarrett]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

Actually it's not on the 3300 block of Halsted, it's all the way up on the 3700 block. It's a gay community center, and it's drawn in a lot of kids from the south and west sides who come there to get away from the issues in their own communities.

Don't forget there are a few large apartment buildings with large amounts of Section 8 renters within blocks of Center on Halsted and those renters are black nine times out of ten. Of course there is the Gill Park co-op too.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Aleking

Yeah the Center seems like an obvious scapegoat for the same old problems.

But where Boystown is concerned these are new problems, or at least this frequency and scale are new. And there is buzz that Center on Halsted is a part of it, and some here seem to concur. How long has the new facility been open, how long have they had this "troubled youth" outreach program beyond just the standard LGBT appeal, and when did these problems come to a head?

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by sydbarrett

Don't forget there are a few large apartment buildings with large amounts of Section 8 renters within blocks of Center on Halsted and those renters are black nine times out of ten. Of course there is the Gill Park co-op too.

Yes, but those low-income buildings have been there for a long time -- certainly before I moved to town in the mid-'90s -- and Boystown didn't start having problems of this magnitude until the past couple years or so. I can't see where those buildings or their inhabitants have anything to do with it.

[andrew61]

Update: One of the main perpetrators in last Sunday night's Boystown attack and stabbing was identified and caught, thanks in part to the YouTube video of the incident:

Facebook, YouTube help police make arrest in Boystown stabbing

[TheArea00]

Well i remember last year in September me and my guy were in Humboldt Park over there off crystal and washtenaw. We almost got stabbed by a few cobras. LoL! I had to swing my way out of that one. Bob and weave! Me and my guy were straight. We took flight on that tail. Apparently he stole money from some dude out their gang.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by TheArea00

Well i remember last year in September me and my guy were in Humboldt Park over there off crystal and washtenaw. We almost got stabbed by a few cobras. LoL! I had to swing my way out of that one. Bob and weave! Me and my guy were straight. We took flight on that tail. Apparently he stole money from some dude out their gang.

Post of the year.

[Runuova]

Originally Posted by TheArea00

Well i remember last year in September me and my guy were in Humboldt Park over there off crystal and washtenaw. We almost got stabbed by a few cobras. LoL! I had to swing my way out of that one. Bob and weave! Me and my guy were straight. We took flight on that tail. Apparently he stole money from some dude out their gang.

I love my people!

[jwaiter]

Originally Posted by TheArea00

Well i remember last year in September me and my guy were in Humboldt Park over there off crystal and washtenaw. We almost got stabbed by a few cobras. LoL! I had to swing my way out of that one. Bob and weave! Me and my guy were straight. We took flight on that tail. Apparently he stole money from some dude out their gang.

So your boyfriend is a thief?

And, he steals primarily from gang members?

How does he spend the profits? Donate them to AT&T?

[Runuova]

Originally Posted by jwaiter

So your boyfriend is a thief?

And, he steals primarily from gang members?

How does he spend the profits? Donate them to AT&T?

Personally, I don't care to know these answers. It's like Houdini exposing his magic tricks...just be entertained!