BEAT 1431 CAPS
Meeting Minutes
March 6th, 2008

The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 3, 2008 at 7:00 pm at the Chase School, 2021 N. Point.

Officers Present: PO Crawford, PO Trempe, PO Smith, PO Ortiz, PO Deb Augustyn (14th District CAPS Office), Liz Rios (14th District CAPS organizer), SGT Giambrone

Number of Beat 1431 residents present: 15

Go directly to the following sections:
General Announcements
CLEARMap
Court Advocacy
Beat 1431 Section Reports

General Announcements
Sgt Giambrone said the only crime that had risen in the last month was theft and there were seven incidents. He encouraged residents to remain vigilant and call 911 to report any suspicious people seen in alleys or along the streets. All other crimes were reported as five or less this month. He also said that in the last three months 199 crimes were reported in our beat but there is an average of 400 city wide.


March 18th, Gang Awareness Presentation
The 14th District invites you to attend a gang awareness presentation, sponsored by the 10 sector beats. The presentation will increase residents' gang awareness of the following:
- Present day characteristics
- Membership identifiers
- Prevention techniques
- Physical identifiers

Date: March 18th, 2008
Location: 3000 N. Kedzie (St. Nicolai Church)
Time: 6:30pm

Domestic Violence Help Line
Domestic Violence Help Line:
1-877-TO END DV
1-877-863-6338
1-877-863-6339(TTY)
Toll free and confidential 24 hrs a day

For more information or assistance, contact the 14th District's domestic violence police officers:
PO Kramer and PO Riordan
2150 N. California
312-744-8290


CLEARMap (formerly Citizen ICAM)
From February 1st - 29th, according to CLEARMap, Beat 1431 suffered 62 crimes, a decrease of 12 from last month (74):
- 1 AGGRAVATED ASSAULT *
- 4 BURGLARY *
- 2 DRUG ABUSE VIOLATIONS
- 1 FORGERY AND COUNTERFEITING
- 1 FRAUD
- 18 LARCENY THEFT *
- 6 MISCELLANEOUS NON-INDEX OFFENSES
- 4 MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT *
- 2 ROBBERY
- 1 SIMPLE ASSAULT
- 10 SIMPLE BATTERY
- 12 VANDALISM

* indicates index crimes (most serious offenses)

Click here to view table of all reported crimes (new window)

Court Advocacy Volunteers Needed
PO Deb Augustyn is looking for volunteers who are available for a couple hours for one afternoon (usually starting at 1:30pm), one day a month to be Court Advocates. There are recent cases in other beats that need our help. Advocates in the neighborhoods in which the crimes were committed are afraid to appear in court fearing retribution from the criminals. Therefore, advocates are needed from other beats (including ours) to help make a strong court appearance against these criminals.

The next meeting will be Tuesday, April 1st, 2008 at 6pm at the 14th District Police Station, 2150 N. California.

Court Advocacy Report
There was no report for this period.

Beat 1431 Section Reports
SECTION 1 (Borders: California, Milwaukee, Armitage)
1) There was a long discussion about the event parking contract between the Congress Theater and Chase Elementary School. Several residents in Section 1 again complained about public urination, littering, noise, illegal parking, cars driving on the sidewalk around the school during events and congestion in the streets. They said at least seven people have called or emailed the school and the alderman and they have talked to many neighbors who have the same complaints.

Beat facilitator, Jim Rhodes, said that he had gone to Chase School on Friday night, Feb 29 both before and after the show. He reported congestion in the street with cars going in to park but said it was quiet and no problems when people left. Jim said that there are only two people who come to CAPS meetings to complain about the problem.

Max Wagner from the Congress Theater said that the Congress Theater, with 4,000 seats and an 80 year history does not want to be a bad neighbor and that one complaint was too many. He said he has been there for five months and has been trying very hard to improve the situation. He passed out leaflet with his phone number to neighbors in October 2007 and will be putting out another leaflet in English and Spanish soon. He encouraged everyone to call and report any problems. The Congress will try to fix problems and he volunteered to pick up trash or deal with any other issues.

Max said that he sees the Chase parking as a win-win situation. Chase School earns $5000 the contract provides in order to pay for additional school program and 100 cars have parking off the streets. He said that the Congress is busiest in the spring and fall and that there are only 10-15 sell out events in a year when the parking is a serious problem. He has talked with developers who own empty lots along Milwaukee but none of them will enter into long term parking arrangements with the Congress Theater.

Max also said that because of new website problems too many parking tickets were sold last Friday night causing the congestion problems. That problem has been fixed.

The next CAPS meeting will be at Chase School and Jim said representatives from the school will attend. He also encouraged neighbors to go to the next Chase Local School Council meeting which is held the last Tuesday of the month. The parent coordinator from Chase School arrived shortly after this discussion was finished. She said she had come to hear the parking complaints in person and the discussion was summarized for her.
2) Graffiti has been a major problem over the last month. Lots of graffiti went up on March 1-4 all over the area. The Alderman's office has requested that Graffiti blaster remove it quickly.
3) Three gun shots were heard near Francis, Bingham and Stave Street early in March, either the 3rd or 4th, around 9pm. Police were called and PO Smith came but could not find any activity when he arrived.
4) Windows were broken on cars in the area on Saturday night, March 1.
5) Window in the store on Francis and Stave were broken recently. The store has a new owner.
6) Salgado from the 2100 block of Stave was arrested for domestic battery.
7) Jose Soto was arrested for simple assault on the 2200 block of California on Feb 17.
8) Agulara was arrested for aggravated assault on the 2100 block of Milwaukee in the past month.
9) There was a cannabis arrest on the 2600 block of Francis Place on Feb 24.
10) Miguel Rodriguez was arrested on a warrant on the 2100 block of Milwaukee.
action: Residents should continue to call 911 for any emergency or crime in this section. They are also encouraged to call 311 for graffiti.

SECTION 2 (Borders: Rockwell, Lyndale, Western, Milwaukee)
1) There has not been any more people loitering and smoking marijuana in the alley behind the 1st Ward office at 2058 North Western Ave this past month.
2) It was reported that Congress Pizza is now a place where stolen goods are being fenced. Laptop PCs and TVs have been seen there.
3) Giovanni Rivera, Javier Vega and Mario Ramirez were arrested for tagging on the 2700 block of Armitage this past month.

SECTION 3 (Borders: Rockwell, Fullerton, Western, Lyndale)
1) This section was quiet this past month.

SECTION 4 (Borders: California, Fullerton, Rockwell, Milwaukee)
1) Last month PO Trempe, SGT Giambrone and Ald. Flores suggested taking the police camera at Stave and Francis in Section 1 and moving it to the Goethe school. More Latin Lovers are congregating on the west side of the school. Jim Rhodes reported that the Goethe Local School Council voted 7-1 against putting the camera there. The police officers still think moving the camera there would be a good idea. There will be community meeting scheduled later this month by the Alderman so that community residents can express their concerns and an exact location determined if needed. Everyone agreed that a community meeting would be a good thing.
action: Residents are strongly urged to call 911 to report any gang or suspicious activity and 311 for graffiti

SECTION 5 (Borders: California, Logan Boulevard, Rockwell, Fullerton)
1) No criminal activity was reported

SECTION 6 (Borders: Rockwell, Logan Boulevard, Western, Fullerton)
1) No criminal activity was reported
action: Residents are strongly urged to call 911 to report gang activity and 311 for graffiti

Recurring Problem Areas for BEAT 1431
1) Gang activity, drug sales, vandalism and violence on Bingham, Stave and Francis Pl.
2) Gang graffiti
3) Gang loitering and recruiting
4) Gang weapons violence

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