Audubon Fact Sheet 2012

Area 5 Detective Division
Alert # 650-12-007
February 1, 2012
Community Alert :  Strong Arm Robberies
14th District – Shakespeare

About This Crime:
Strong Arm Robberies are occurring within the 14th District. The majority of victims targeted are lone females walking on the sidewalk by themselves. The offender usually approaches victims from behind and robs them of purses, money, and cell phones. Most of these incidents are occurring in the late evening and early morning hours, within the boundaries of Ashland to Central Park, Division to Diversey.

Offender Description:
· Male black offender 18-39 years of age.
· Height is 5’08″– 6’06″.
· Weight is 150-180 pounds
· In three incidents, offender was described as having dreadlocks.
· Wearing a gray or brown hooded sweatshirt or a black puffy coat.

Wanted Vehicle:
· 1990′s White Cadillac Deville – 4 door

What You Can Do:
· Walk in pairs
· Walk in well-lit areas
· Do not walk while wearing earphones or headphones
· Do not use other electronic devices which act as a distraction
· Be aware of surroundings at all times, especially people behind you.
· Be aware of this situation and alert neighbors in the area about this crime.
· Pay special attention to any subjects loitering in the area
· Call 911 if you observe any suspicious persons or activity

Incident Locations:
3100 block of W. Fullerton, Dec. 4, 2011, 5:20 AM
1800 block of N. California, Dec. 17, 2011, 6:00 AM
1700 block of N. Central Park, Dec. 21, 2011, 6:15 AM
1900 block of N. Western, Dec. 22, 2011, 11:00 PM
2100 block of N. California, Dec. 24, 2011, 7:30 AM
2000 block of N. Kimball, Dec. 31, 2011, 11:20 PM
1500 block of N. Hoyne, Jan. 3, 2012, 3:00 AM
1700 block of W. Wabansia, Jan. 4, 2012, 4:32 PM
2600 block of W. Wellington, Jan. 6, 2012, 8:00 PM
2100 block of N. Milwaukee, Jan. 8, 2012, 12:00 PM
1500 block of N. Maplewood, Jan. 20, 2012, 8:00 PM
1500 block of N. Milwaukee, Jan. 21, 2012, 2:00 AM

Reference: HT617109, HT635862, HT641389, HT644217, HT645859, HV102482, HV102659, HV104613, HV107649, HV110547, HV125833, HV126235

If you have any information about this incident,
Please call the Area 5 Detectives at (312) 746-8362

This map will not take effect until any legal issues are addressed and the City Council agrees on a date to implement the changes.

32nd Ward Map Approved 011912

Given the significant concern over the preservation of free speech and the ability to peacefully assemble and demonstrate, many people were concerned about the implications of the proposed changes. Alderman Waguespack worked with fellow Council Members to address such concerns and insure that the proposed changes were reasonable given best practices in municipalities across the US. A primary concern was that the scope of the proposed changes be kept as narrow as possible to enable the City to effective maintain order, but avoid any unnecessary restrictions on people right to peacefully assemble and demonstrate.

The following links include the revised ordinances that emerged as a result of the changes negotiated by various members of the City Council:

G8 & NATO Substitute Ordinance

Parade Substitute Ordinance

The newest version of the G8/NATO ordinance, which I voted for and was approved by the Council, maintains the existing fines for resisting arrest at a $25 minimum and a $500 maximum. The initial proposal called for fines to range from $200 to $1,000.

Other key aspects include:

• Changing City of Chicago park hours to conform to existing Chicago Park District hours of operation, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• A provision granting the Police Superintendent the authority to enter into agreements with certified law enforcement personnel.
• Granting the Mayor authority to enter into time-limited, narrowly tailored agreements with respect to the Summits when no other existing agreements provide the necessary goods and services and time is of the essence.

With respect to the Parade Ordinance, the following changes have been made to existing law:

• The minimum fine for a violation of the parade ordinance will increase from $50 to $200, but the maximum fine will remain at $1,000. The initial proposal called for increasing the maximum fine from $1,000 to $2,000.
• Parade organizers must provide a general description of any sound amplification equipment that is on wheels or too large for one person to carry and/or any signs or banners that are too large for one person to carry in their applications.
• The time limit for parades will remain unchanged from the current ordinance at two hours and 15 minutes. The initial proposal called for reducing the time to two hours.
• The initial proposal to require one parade marshal for every 100 participants was dropped.

 I did not support the initial ordinance as proposed by the Mayor because I felt as though the fines and restrictions were too burdensome and restrictive. The changes that came about because of an open dialogue between the Council and the Mayor’s Office lead to a set of reasonable provisions that I and most of my colleagues could support. I thank the many people who took the time to contact my office and express their concerns about the initial proposal and the free speech issues involved in this discussion.

Another week, another embarrassing detail concerning the city’s parking meter monopoly; Chicago Parking Meters LLC has sent City Hall another bill for lost revenue from the city’s parking meters.

As CBS 2’s Dana Kozlov reports, the company is billing the city $2.2 million for lost parking revenue due to various street closures.

According to the company, everything from broken water mains to film shoots blocked off streets where drivers would normally park at meters.

Chicago officials who spoke to CBS 2 about the latest bill from Chicago Parking Meters LLC (CPM) were livid and some were even calling for the mayor to break the parking meter contract.

The six corners intersection of Damen, North and Milwaukee avenues was shut down six times last year for movie shoots and free street festivals.

“Anytime that the city has to do something to the street – let’s say, a water main break goes down, or they have to repave, or there’s a street festival – the parking meter company has the ability, through the contract, to bill the city for the lost revenue,” said Mike Brockway, creator “The Expired Meter” blog, which broke the news of this latest meter deal surprise.

READ: The Expired Meter’s report

In 2009, the bill for such lost revenue was $533,000. Last year, it was $1.6 million.

“You’re going to see a bigger number in 2011 and as the rates go up, that means that they can bring in more revenue for it,” Brockway said. “The closures are going to be more expensive every year as we go forward.”

Last week, the company sent City Hall a $13 million bill from lost revenue from drivers who used disabled parking placards to get free parking at the city’s meters.

“It was built right into the contract and, just like any contract, if you sign your name to it, you have to pay up,” said Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd), who has slammed the parking meter deal from the beginning as one of only five aldermen to vote against the $1.2 billion, 75-year lease of the city’s parking meters.

For Waguespack, it’s CPM’s next big revenue target that has him worried: non-profit street festivals. There are 30 such festivals each year in the 32nd Ward alone.

“They haven’t had to pay and I don’t know if that’s been some kind of gentleman’s agreement between the former mayor and CPM, but it looks like this is something that could come up,” he said.

City officials said it assessed enough in fees to utility firms, filmmakers and others responsible for street closures to cover the money owed to CPM for those closures.

Public reaction to the latest revelations about the parking meter deal was predictably negative.

“They’re making money and they’re squeezing for more and the city’s just going to hand it to them,” Jack Orr said.

“There’s nothing you can do about it. You gotta pay … what the city gots to offer and I don’t like that at all,” said Mike Stevenson.

“The aldermen signed it. We elected them. We gotta pay for it,” Caroline McGuire said.

CPM declined to comment on the matter. The mayor’s office responded with this statement:

“We did not make this deal with CPM, but are contractually obligated to follow it. We will continue to do our due diligence on every request from CPM to ensure that we are paying what we owe and nothing more, as it is our responsibility to taxpayers.”

But before Mayor Rahm Emanuel left for a two-week vacation, he said just because the meter company sent him a bill for lost parking meter revenue doesn’t mean he has to pay it. He said he is disputing the $13 million bill for lost revenue from disabled parking and he plans an investigation.

If the numbers don’t add up, Emanuel said he won’t pay the full amount billed by CPM.

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