Bounce12 407 Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/metro/People_Afraid_To_Come_Out_Of_Their_Homes People Afraid To Come Out Of Their Homes Updated: Tuesday, 13 Oct 2009, 8:29 AM CDT Published : Tuesday, 13 Oct 2009, 4:29 AM CDT STNG Wire Joliet - Tony Ray was talking with a police officer outside the Forest Park Community Center in Joliet a couple of weeks ago when the two men suddenly heard the crack of gunshots. Ray, executive director of the center, headed to safety inside the building. The officer ran to investigate. Sadly, the incident is not all that uncommon. There have been 165 shootings so far this year, almost as many in all of last year. Murders are up, too. There have been nine so far this year compared to six in all of 2008. That has community leaders like Ray and the Rev. Herbert Brooks concerned. The two men remember the gang wars of the 1980s and they don't want to see a return to the bad old days. Ray hears from residents who are afraid to travel the Forest Park area's streets at night. "It's definitely increased," he said of the recent rash of violence. "These kids (who are shooting guns) do not understand the ramifications if they hit somebody." Brooks, who is a Will County Board member and has been pastor at St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Joliet since 1990, wishes he could intervene before the trigger is pulled and a shot is fired in anger. He'd also like to be able to hold up a hand and say, "Young man, you don't have to do it.'" The key, he believes is for the community to come together as it did years ago to figure out solutions. "I think we need to be proactive," he said. "Unfortunately, we're often reactive." To that end, Ray does what he can to reach out to people on the city's northeast side. But the violence is all around the Forest Park center. One longtime resident, who did not want to be identified, said she is afraid to travel on Woodruff Road at night because of the rampant crime. There have been more than a dozen shootings in the neighborhood and one murder, she said. "People in this neighborhood are seniors they're afraid to come out of their homes," the woman added. Ray said the gang situation isn't the same as it was in the 1980s when he worked at a local radio station and broadcast a gang summit live from the city's East Side. Back then, the gangs were organized and local officials could reason with gang leaders, he said. "What you see now is young kids trying to be tough. There's no organization. I call it cliques rather than a gang." Ray said years ago the community center once had its own police officer stationed in the building. The officer worked with area youth and got to know the community. That's no longer the case, however. The officer assigned to the Forest Park neighborhood has a much larger geographic zone to patrol and he can't stay in one spot. The city's shrinking budget has affected the center more directly, too. The $72,000 the city had provided in years past is gone. Ray said if it weren't for Silver Cross Hospital stepping in with $50,000 in funding this year, he's not sure what would have happened. The center offers preschool, youth mentoring, court advocacy, GED education and computer classes starting in January. But Ray wants more recreational opportunities for the kids in Forest Park. "For the life of me I don't know why we don't have more for them to do," he said. Hard times Ray doesn't think the economy is playing a role in the increased violence. After all, he said, "The ones doing the shooting aren't going to be working anyway." But Brooks believes the recession and high unemployment rates are partly to blame for an increase in violent crimes in the city. "Gang violence and the economy are connected," he said during an interview at his church, which is located on the city's southeast side. "... There is a lot of unrest because there are no jobs." Brooks and his parishioners have suffered the after-effects of murder. One of five men murdered in August, Ronald Jones, was the husband of church member Jessica Jones. Brooks married the couple. He knew Ronald all his life. And Brooks' 19-year-old daughter was at the Jones' house when Jessica learned of her husband's murder. "I've always tried to look and make some kind of sense of it," he said of the violence. "It's hard to fine the sense in senseless shootings. ... One murder is too many." Community leaders in Chicago are calling for parents to get involved to reduce murders and violence in that city. Brooks said the same has to happen in Joliet. "We have minors out there killing minors," he said. "In Joliet, we have 15-, 16-, 17-year-old children being shot by other 15-, 16-, 17-year-old children." Having fewer police officers on the street due to budget constraints also isn't helping, Brooks said. The police department has 32 fewer officers because of attrition and early retirement. "If there are less on the police force, obviously they can't respond and be everywhere." Brooks is trying to do his part. He added a midweek church service at 7 p.m. Wednesdays. The service is shorter and he's hoping it attracts young people. He also has a drug addiction recovery group at the church. "I don't know what more we can do. You're never going to reach all the people." Ray said a "lack of family" in some areas of the neighborhood also spawns violence. "I always say, it's tough to be a man when you don't see a man," he said. "... I come from a strong family, a Christian family. Those morals aren't there (today)." Brooks said although the societal problems that lead to violence sometimes seem overwhelming, area officials have to work together to stop the shootings. "We're never going to give up. We're never going to give up," he repeated. "We're never going to give up." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
camon 233 Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 And we wanted the Olympics there?? That place is crap now I can't wait to see what it's going to be in 4 years once the economy finally tanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Raoul_Duke 113 Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 You mean to tell me that Obama didn't take care of all that when he was senator? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paulry 50 Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 I was going to add this is the place the current administration is from! It's their handy work. Good luck with all that! For-sure! Lefty strikes again! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sharkbit 109 Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 O-man hasn't done shit for the state of Illinois nor the city of Chicago. Fucking joke. I remember when he first was running for president, i was like, this guy just became a senator not that long ago and he's running for president?!? The people of this country don't know shit about this guy, and the media is to blame for that. Everybody talked about Sarah Palin's "lack of experience", shit, she has a helluva lot more experience with running the show than the O-man. He was a community organizer before his "stint" as a do-nothing senator. Gun laws are a fucking joke in this state, as I quickly learned moving from Wisconsin. Both of these states need concealed carry. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jhansjr 8 Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 And we wanted the Olympics there?? That place is crap now I can't wait to see what it's going to be in 4 years once the economy finally tanks. Just ask him what it'll be like in four years... Escape From "Chicago" anyone? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sharkbit 109 Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 i say extend the school year and keep these bastards in school for longer days.....jail time for truancy.....enforce a strict dress code.....military code of conduct and disipline in the classrooms. there, problem solved! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shandlanos 1,470 Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 i say extend the school year and keep these bastards in school for longer days.....jail time for truancy.....enforce a strict dress code.....military code of conduct and disipline in the classrooms. there, problem solved! Although you've only suggested it for minors, you have regardless expressed support for a police state. Jail time for truancy? When our public schools are a joke, and often unsafe? A military code of conduct and discipline in the classroom... That brings to mind the funniest policy my high school had. If you were absent too much without excuse (I can't recall the number of days, but that's besides the point), you were suspended. "If you don't come to school, you can't come to school." Stupid. I think everyone here agrees that Cook country is a pile of garbage, run by corrupt assholes with no concern whatsoever for the right to self-defense. It is very difficult to convince people with an irrational fear of weapons that gun control is counterproductive, but Chicago is not likely to learn that lesson any time soon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bigsal 757 Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 (edited) I think everyone here agrees that Cook country is a pile of garbage, run by corrupt assholes with no concern whatsoever for the right to self-defense. It is very difficult to convince people with an irrational fear of weapons that gun control is counterproductive, but Chicago is not likely to learn that lesson any time soon. Negative. I lived in Chicago for a year and in Wheaton (a western suburb technically in DuPage County, but close enough) for a year as well. Its a great town with a lot of awesome people. If I can get a job there when I finish school, I'd move back in a second. When I lived there I honestly did not know about their firearms laws though (I am not saying I broke any laws, just that I never knew about them).... Edited October 13, 2009 by bigsal 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sharkbit 109 Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 we need fucking Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to clean up these damn streets, and to teach the "childrens". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
petmet50 3 Posted October 14, 2009 Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 Your town my town grab your gun and shoot the damm clown! My beef is with the towel heads! You watch the Marines runnin around in Iraq and Afganistan gettin blown up and shot at by snipers and my all time favorite is when they kidnapp someone and do there lil home movie crap complete with the alla alla chant and cut there head off with a dull knife! NUKE IT till it is no more and send people in with contamination suits on and suck the oil out till its dry I need cheap gas to run my caddy and hummer with! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BronCobraJet 80 Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 I really am having a hard time understanding how Chicago can have such a problem? It was my understanding that guns and ammo were illegal in Chicago. So, how could they possibly have gunfire? IT'S ILLEGAL! Maybe they need harsher/more gun laws. Yeah, that will work. In my mind, Chicago was always the epitomie of crime in the USA, with Al Capone and all. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bigsal 757 Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 Your town my town grab your gun and shoot the damm clown! My beef is with the towel heads! You watch the Marines runnin around in Iraq and Afganistan gettin blown up and shot at by snipers and my all time favorite is when they kidnapp someone and do there lil home movie crap complete with the alla alla chant and cut there head off with a dull knife! NUKE IT till it is no more and send people in with contamination suits on and suck the oil out till its dry I need cheap gas to run my caddy and hummer with! Also dude, "Towel-Head" is not the preferred nomenclature. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uzitiger 193 Posted October 18, 2009 Report Share Posted October 18, 2009 I really am having a hard time understanding how Chicago can have such a problem? It was my understanding that guns and ammo were illegal in Chicago. So, how could they possibly have gunfire? IT'S ILLEGAL! Maybe they need harsher/more gun laws. Yeah, that will work. In my mind, Chicago was always the epitome of crime in the USA, with Al Capone and all. Are you implying that these criminals broke the law? Would they really do that? Now we have the ACORN gangster in the White House who is using the Chicago thug tactics nationwide and he doesn't want us to be able to defend ourselves against his ACORN gang. Your town my town grab your gun and shoot the damm clown! My beef is with the towel heads! You watch the Marines runnin around in Iraq and Afganistan gettin blown up and shot at by snipers and my all time favorite is when they kidnapp someone and do there lil home movie crap complete with the alla alla chant and cut there head off with a dull knife! NUKE IT till it is no more and send people in with contamination suits on and suck the oil out till its dry I need cheap gas to run my caddy and hummer with! Also dude, "Towel-Head" is not the preferred nomenclature. The rules of engagement tie the soldiers and marines hands and the Hajis know this and take advantage to blow away our priceless young men and women. I would use the AC-130s more freely if it was up to me whenever there would be gunfire to destroy the neighborhood where it came from. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cellsworth 21 Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 You mean to tell me that Obama didn't take care of all that when he was senator? Yes, Obama did take care of all that. It was one of the reasons he won the Nobel Peace Prize. The increase in violence since Obama became president is George Bush's fault. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
zakmatthews 14 Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 I was born in the Chicago suburbs . . . grew up in Joliet as a kid until I moved away to college at 18 years old. Now I'm 24 and I haven't been back except to visit the family. Crime there was hit-or-miss. Either it was a crime-ridden ghetto or it was a pretty clean. It depended largely on the race population and socioeconomic status of the area. Regardless, I will never live in the Chicago, Joliet, or any other suburb of the city ever. I'll never again live in Illinois for that matter. Chicago and it's politics sucks. Obama, Blowjobavich, Mayor Daley, Oprah, whoever . . . all scum. Its corrupt liberal socialism at its finest. I'll always be loyal to the Cubbies and da Bears though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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