BEAT 1431 CAPS
Meeting Minutes
October 7, 2004

The next meeting will be November 4th, 2004 at Goethe School, 2236 N. Rockwell at 7:00 pm.

Officers Present: SGT Giambrone, PO Trempe, PO Crawford, PO Muniz and Liz Rios of Community Policing

SECTION 1
1) Daily gang and drug activity continues to be a major, recurring problem.
2) 2133 Bingham remains a sanctuary for drug dealing despite the recent arrest of Ricardo Luiz for possession of Crack.
3) Gang loitering was reported in the alley behind 2139 Point.
4) Rick Vasquez was arrested for pointing a gun at a 9 year old child on Chanay St.
5) 2034 and 2133 Bingham continue to be consistent drug and gang sanctuaries.
6) A known drug supplier has been reportedly seeking shelter at 2775 Francis Pl.
action: Bingham drug properties continue to flourish despite drug arrests on the premises. The Police and Alderman Flores' officer need to apply pressure on the property owners harboring these criminals. Recurring patterns of illegal activity continue to be reported.

SECTION 2
1) McLean continues to be a major problem with drug, gang and gunfire activity.
2) The 2400 block of McLean is reportedly a major drug and gang infested area, especially the properties of 2427 and 2435 McLean. A known, formerly convicted criminal, Jose Martinez and his family reside at 2427 McLean and are regarded as responsible for recent increase in gang violence between the MLDs and Spanish Lords.
Upcoming court dates for Jose Martinez include: October 22nd, and November 4th. Please contact the 14th District for more details on the court appearance.
3) September 12th, the Congress Theater hosted the Rap artist, Fat Joe, who later was a victim in a shooting rumored to be a publicity stunt. Properties on Maplewood, where the shooting occurred, were damaged and Fat Joe was reportedly also wounded in the gun battle.
Despite this recent shooting, the Congress has been commended on its continued effort to keep the crowds moving around the venue and the parking violations reported. Until the Congress Theater provides adequate parking, large events will continue to exacerbate the parking shortage surrounding the venue.
action: The 2400 block of McLean is a major problem. Police attention required. Residents are encouraged to call 911 in connection with drug and gang violence on this block in particular.

SECTION 3
1) A representative from Danny's Liquor reported that several cameras have been installed around the store and a hired security service is keeping the problematic homeless and addicts away from the store. This is great news.

SECTION 4
1) Another shooting between rival gangs (MLDs and Latin Lovers) occurred September 16th at approximately 9:45pm involving numerous gun shots in and around the Goethe School Playground. The police reported the one of the guns involved in the shooting was found at 2638 Belden near the known Latin Lover property at 2638 Lyndale.
2) Gang presence was still reported at Goethe School despite the recent police attention surrounding the shooting violence.
3) The police camera request was denied for Goethe Elementary School despite the increasing pattern of shooting and gun violence within the school playground. This request was sent by Commander Avila of the 14th District. This is a major setback for the safety of this public playground.
4) Properties on Belden and Lyndale were reportedly tagged with MLD graffiti antagonzing the rival Latin Lovers.
action: Gang activity and gun violence remains a consistent problem. Weekday late afternoon and early evenings, and weekend evenings seem to draw increased activity. Talman avenue apparently has several households fostering gang members, residents are strongly encouraged to call 911.

SECTION 5 & 6
1) MLDAWs (Maniac Latin Disciples Altgeld Washtenaw) apparently have returned and tagged many area properties with graffiti.
2) Missala (corner "restaurant" at Fullerton and Rockwell) continues to be under investigation. A recent community meeting was postponed several months regarding the activities of the venue. This property continues to be a nuisance for the neighbhorhood.
3) Residents parking off Logan Blvd should be warned of consistent break-ins near the viaduct at Artesian and Western. Please do not leave anything valuable in your car, including small change as it is a target for thefts.
4) Cheerios gang members remain active in this area, recently loitering at Tile Outlet. They continue to circle the Artesian block establishing their drug trade and harassing residents.
6) Still no progress has been reported on the Derek Tate, Jr., murder on June 6, 2003 at Fullerton and Artesian. For the third month in a row, Area 5 officers were not present to provide their promised update on the case.
action: Alderman and 14th District Commander to maintain pressure on Missala. Police to monitor gang loitering on Artesian and continued activity on Campbell.


Recurring Problem Areas for BEAT 1431
1) Drug activity on Bingham in Section 1 remains a consistent problem
2) Section 2 and the 2400 block of McLean continues to be gang and drug infested.
3) Gang turf wars and violence continues at Goethe School.
5) Residents should continue to call 911 and are encouraged to establish phone trees to increase the number of 911 calls.

General Announcements
Mark Nielsen, (Deputy District Chief) presented the importance of home fire prevention.
1) Make sure you have a CO2 and a smoke detector on every level of your home near bedrooms.
2) Change the batteries of your detectors every 6 months (every time you change your clock for daylight savings).
3) Residents are encouraged to practive Exit Drills In The Home (EDITH) involving 2 means of escape from your home in case of fire. Chief Nielsen recommends practicing with blindfolds to simulate the degree of visibility when smoke has infiltrated the home. Establish a meeting place oustide the home for your family in order to account for each family member, reporting any missing members to 911.
4) When you hear a smoke or CO2 detector alarm, immediate get low to the ground and safely exit the property. Please remember to feel doors before opening. If the door is hot, do not open the door and seek alternate escape route. If the only route is a window, open the window and call for help.

Liz Rios, (Community Policing) announced an upcoming event on October 23rd at Roberto Clemente High School educating youth on child abductions. This will be an educational opportunity for children to learn how to recognize behavior that commonly leads to child abduction. Please contact the 14th District Police Station for more information on this important educational workshop.

DISCLAIMER
Beat 1431 CAPs volunteers prepared these meeting minutes to the best of their ability.