Puerto Rican Parade in Humboldt Park: violence? (Chicago: neighborhoods, buying)
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Yeah the Taste of Chicago do bring in a lot of shady people, and some of them don't come for the food. I was there last year, and it was so many dudes in groups walking around. Any event that is free to get in, expect some thugs/rough necks to be there.
Thats why I go to the Taste of Lynwood down the street.
Thats why I go to the Taste of Lynwood down the street.
LOL. I think July 3rd is the worst day to go. I was there the night of the fireworks when the shooting happen afterwards. I might go this year, just not on that day.
Last time I got caught up near the PR day parade people were throwing rocks and bottles and crap at passing cars and each other and whatever else. It was an absolute mob scene. You can always do the food some other time when it's just a normal day.
Was thinking about taking in this parade for the first time b/c I heard the food is fantastic but then I heard that there are tons of gang bangers around and there's always some fighting etc.
Anyone have comments on this?
When we moved into Humboldt Park in Chicago - on the west side of the Park, in 1984, the Puerto Rican festival was tolerable. Like many other festivals in Chicago, the area around the core of the Festival, which is located in Humboldt Park, tends to be a bit more festive and can get a lot noisier than regular days, but it was tailorable. [NOTE: This also applies to the FORTH OF JULY, NEW YEARS EVE and the night any sports team wins.]
Over the last ten [10] years, the streets along the west side of the Park have become a haven for "core gang bangers" and therein lies the problem. What is normally, approximately 350 days out of the year, a quiet, peace-loving neighborhood, inhabited by a both homeowners and apartment dwellers - depending on the street on which you live, becomes the equivalent of Vietnam. Again, this happens like CLOCK WORK on the FRIDAY, SATURDAY and SUNDAY nights of the week of the Puerto Rican Independence Day Festival; the FORTH OF JULY; NEW YEARS EVE; and the night any major sports team wins
The gangs take over the four corners of Beach and Homan [that's the name of Kimball once it crosses south of North Avenue], shoot at the police, break the windows of the cars of opposing gangs who happen to attempt to taunt them by driving by in their territory, and all hell breaks loose.
This year, the gangs hit a new LOW. They actually THREATENED the LONG-TIME RESIDENTS of one block telling the residents, some of whom have lived here 30, 40, and 50 years, that, "this is our block, this is our territory, you need to respect us and get the hell our of our neighborhood - we don't want you here, all you do is cause trouble for us and other gangs."
Normally, the afternoons on the Saturdays and Sundays of the Puerto Rican Day Festivals are noisy with traffic, people hanging from the vehicles, displaying flags, honking horns and generally tying up traffic on Kimball. They choose Kimball because the City closes Kedzie, Sacramento [Humboldt Blvd where it transverses the Park] and California. So the revelers flow like water seeking low ground - to Kimball.
Unfortunately, between the additional traffic, caused by revelers coming in from both the suburbs and all over the City of Chicago; along with the gang violence cause by rival gangs taking up different corners at Beach and Homan; along with other intersections in the area, the Festival is now a war - between both the residents - who want our neighborhood back, the gangs, who shoot at each other, endanger those attending the festival; the CTA - who finds it almost impossible to run the Homan Avenue Bus Route between North avenue and Division Street; and the Chicago Police Department who is already stretched to the max and has to cover the summer festival schedule in Chicago.
Gang members flood the intersection of Beach and Homan, in Chicago's West Humboldt Park Neighborhood on Saturday, 19 June, 2010, during Puerto Rican Independence Day festivities. Copyright 2010, Studio Z, All Rights Reserved. For reproduction rights, please contact the poster.
Gang members flash gang signs at the intersection of Beach and Homan, in Chicago's West Humboldt Park Neighborhood on Saturday, 19 June, 2010, during Puerto Rican Independence Day festivities. Copyright 2010, Studio Z, All Rights Reserved. For reproduction rights, please contact the poster.
Gang members intimidate drivers at the intersection of Beach and Homan, in Chicago's West Humboldt Park Neighborhood on Saturday, 19 June, 2010, during Puerto Rican Independence Day festivities. Copyright 2010, Studio Z, All Rights Reserved. For reproduction rights, please contact the poster.
In addition to the gangs on the corners, many of the drivers of the vehicles are also gang members - flashing signs and colors at the other gang members on the corners; stopping vehicles in mid street and causing the street to flood with a sea of other gang members who block both pedestrian and vehicle traffic in all directions and create additional hazards - both traffic, public safety, and gang related.
This is NOT here-say evidence. We have proof - both in STILL PICTURES and on VIDEO TAPE.
Yesterday, Saturday, 19 June, 2010, the gangs began to take over the street early in the afternoon.
At approximately 13.40, I called 911 because rival gangs spilled out into the intersection of Homan and Beach and, several hundred strong, and began to break the window of a rival gang's car that drove by. The police responded with 3 squads and one un-marked car. No officer ever got out of the cars, no one dispersed the gangs, and, after listening to my complaint and telling me how under-manned they are, they drove off.
I first called the 14th District Police Station at 13:54 to discuss the escalating gangs activity on the corner of Beach and Homan, and was told by an officer that they had brought in additional manpower consisting of at least two officers from every district in the City. He was empathetic and listened as I explained we, the long-time residents of the area were being threatened by the gangs - told to move because "we were causing them problems" and that we were tired of having the gangs take over the corners and streets - closing down our neighborhoods several times a year, with Puerto Rican Independence weekend being the worst time each year. He began to tell me we should think of moving and I indicated we had been here twice as long as the gang members had been alive - on average. That we, 30 year residents had been threatened that day; a 73 year old - 45 year resident had been threatened that day; and a 54 year resident, a Puerto Rican woman, had also been threatened that day.
I indicated moving was not an option and should NEVER have been brought up by a police officer. I also indicated that we wanted Homan Avenue closed to all but RESIDENTS, BUSSES, DELIVERIES and EMERGENCY VEHICLES and that if they wouldn't do it, we, the residents of the area, would close it with our vehicles that evening. He thanked me for my call and hung up the phone.
At 16.06 hours, I called 311 again, and asked to speak to the Police Superintendent's office - only to be told it was CLOSED and I should call the DESK SERGENT at the 14th District.
At 16.07 hours, I called the 14th District, asked to speak to the DESK SERGENT, and the officer answering my call refused to allow me to talk to him, telling me to, instead, call 911 and ask for a Sergent to come to the location where I could discuss the situation with him and he could make the decision to, and order the street, closed.
I called 911 at 16.16 and the officer answering my call because hostile and argumentative when I explained the situation stating that he would "dispatch a Sergeant when resources became available." He then asked for my name and number and hung up. No one was ever dispatched. No Sergeant ever showed up.
Meanwhile, the situation continued to oscillate and become more violent. In desperation I called Channel 2 Television news and they took a report and agreed to investigate. I gave them all of the information, including my attempts to speak with the District Commander, the Desk Sergent at 14th District, my encounter with 911, and the fact that the crowds were getting larger, the streets were basically closed because of the clogged traffic and sheer number of people in the intersection, the CTA could hardly get through -sometimes taking up to 40 minutes to go from North Avenue to Division on Homan Avenue - a total of EIGHT [8] blocks.
I continued to call 911 and 311 - being ignored.
Apparently the 911 center was deluged by other neighbors as well. Someone finally got someone to listen and, at approximately 19.45 hours, more than 50 Chicago Police Squad Cars - marked and unmarked, showed up and began to clean up the mess. I thought the President had decided to visit the Festival - every street in the neighborhood had multiple squad card - with lights flashing -sirens blaring to get traffic moving, and police officers jumping out of the cars and rounding up gang members, asking for ID and, in some cases, searching them.
During that same time what may have been a shooting took place a block south of Beach and Homan, causing dispatch of both an ambulance and fire truck, along with MORE POLICE CARS. That blocked the streets in both directions for more than two hours as the police investigated.
During all of this, both my partner and myself took pictures and video - LOTS OF PICTURES AND VIDEO. On Monday, copies go to the CHICAGO POLICE HEADQUARTERS, the POLICE SUPERINTENDENT, the ALDERMAN, the office of the STATES ATTORNEY, the FBI, the Tribune, Sun Times, Reader and NPR.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH - WE ARE TAKING BACK THE NEIGHBORHOOD! If the City will not step in and clean this up, we will get a court order to prohibit all future festivals in Humboldt Park!
There is a relatively simple answer here: ENFORCE THE LAW.
- Make certain all of the occupants of the vehicle are WEARING SEAT BELTS;
- Enforce the NO CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING law;
- Enforce the law put into effect by City Console three years ago which prohibits cruising the streets in vehicles during any festival.
- Enforce the Illinois Motor Vehicle Safety laws which prohibit people from riding in the backs of pickup trucks, on top of vehicles, while hanging off the sides of vehicles, etc.
- Enforce the ALCOHOL laws - no drinking while driving or as a passenger in a motor vehicle.
- Enforce the ALCOHOL laws - no open drinking on a public street in the City of Chicago.
- Make certain that every driver who is pulled over for breaking one of the above laws has both VALID REGISTRATION, a VALID CITY VEHICLE STICKER [if they are a resident of the City of Chicago]; a VALID DRIVERS LICENSE - many DO NOT; and CURRENT INSURANCE - more than 30% of the residents of Chicago DO NOT HAVE CURRENT AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE.
CPD can also enforce the law when it comes to nuisance gathering. While anyone has the right to march and protest, this group of gangs which takes over the corners of Homan and Beach, along with several other intersections, is NOT a legal congregation of people and, under existing law, as upheld by both State, Federal and the US Supreme Court, the Chicago Police Department has the right to disperse the crowd and arrest those who refuse to disburse.
Finally, either RE-OPEN Kedzie and California, or CLOSE HOMAN AVENUE to all except LOCAL RESIDENTS, with IDENTIFICATION, VALID VEHICLE REGISTRATION, VALID VEHICLE STICKERS and VALID AUTO-INSURANCE POLICIES.
It can be done. It is done in other neighborhoods.
Chicago's West Humboldt Park is a beautiful neighborhood, inhabited by hard-working people, many of whom have live here for 40 or more years. There are hundreds of hard-working Puerto Rican, Mexican, Polish, White, Black, and other families who OWN THEIR HOMES or apartment buildings who have a disdain for what the Puerto Rican Festival has turned into.
Finally, in fairness to the Chicago Police Department, when they FINALLY did respond - en mass, clear the streets, and shut the gang activity down, they did a great job. Unfortunately, this should never have been allowed to happen in the first place!
Looks like 6 people were shot in multiple instances near the parade route yesterday. I looked at places in Humbolt Park when I moved here in 2001, and it didn't seem near as troubled as it is today.
I asked a few PR people at work if they were going to go down to the parade, and they just started laughing out loud. They said they went years ago, but now it didn't even enter their minds to attend.
Gang members flash gang signs at the intersection of Beach and Homan, in Chicago's West Humboldt Park Neighborhood on Saturday, 19 June, 2010, during Puerto Rican Independence Day festivities. Copyright 2010, Studio Z, All Rights Reserved. For reproduction rights, please contact the poster.
Hey - I know that sign! Guess I'm in a gang and didn't know it.
The area between Wabansia and Bloomingdale and Kedzie and Sacramento during this festival has been nuts. Every parked car along the west side of Sacramento had its windows broken out last night. There have been at least 15 different gang fights, open narcotic sales during the day, etc. A group of bangers threw glass bottles at me and knocked me off my bike as well yesterday evening.
I was hoping to head down with the fam to the carnival today but after some of the hijinks that have been going on, we're avoiding it. It's such a shame that even patriotic PRs don't feel comfortable going down for the parade, let alone other residents in HP/LS.
The area between Wabansia and Bloomingdale and Kedzie and Sacramento during this festival has been nuts. Every parked car along the west side of Sacramento had its windows broken out last night. There have been at least 15 different gang fights, open narcotic sales during the day, etc. A group of bangers threw glass bottles at me and knocked me off my bike as well yesterday evening.
I was hoping to head down with the fam to the carnival today but after some of the hijinks that have been going on, we're avoiding it. It's such a shame that even patriotic PRs don't feel comfortable going down for the parade, let alone other residents in HP/LS.
Yeah, that was the really sad and really obvious thing the PR's at work pointed out. The apparent point of the entire festival and parade is pretty useless when it's all taken over by thugs, and the 95% of rational people who would otherwise go and enjoy it make efforts to stay away.
Was thinking about taking in this parade for the first time b/c I heard the food is fantastic but then I heard that there are tons of gang bangers around and there's always some fighting etc.
Anyone have comments on this?
No food is is worth getting shot at.
At least 6 injured in Humboldt Park shootings :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Chicago Crime (http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/2412424,humboldt-park-shootings-062010.article - broken link)
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