I gotta admit it. I am enjoying the nightly police crackdown on loitering, lollygagging and the general mayhem that at one time was the mainstay of far too many fools up and down North Avenue.
Now when I pass by at night, I can’t tell the difference between the Chicago portion and the Oak Park side. Even more amazing is that I haven’t heard anyone with a Reverend This or Community Activist That protest the crackdown.
I guess the reason is that even they who are media hounds recognize just how stupid they would sound advocating for chaos when we have multiple shootings and murders occurring nightly.
So those individuals have slithered back from whence they came with nary a peep about civil liberties being violated. And our heathens and hellions who used to have free rein to do as they pleased are being forced into the house at night. And that is a good thing.
My first lament: Why did it take so long? My second lament: Can the police keep it up all summer?
There is no doubt in my mind that the current state of calm is because the police are no longer allowing the chaos. Now before anyone thinks that this is a “blame the police” lament, it’s not.
Because until the situation got so out of control, I don’t know how much the police’s hands were tied. Effective policing strategies were hindered because of the sensitivity to those who were quick to scream “racism” and “police brutality.”
Now those things do exist. But when we have criminal elements that will use any type of cover to commit mayhem, we can’t be more focused on being politically correct over allowing the police to do their job.
Years back when I was a faithful attendee at my local BEAT meetings, it was simply a once a month session for people to vent their frustrations and to hear the police respond that their hands were tied. Now I guess somehow the police’s hands have mysteriously become untied, because my neighborhood no longer resembles “Gunfight at the OK Corral.” Order is the rule for the day and night. And amazingly, so far, the police have been able to get it.
Now it is time for the community at large to step up. We need to get off of our lazy behinds and turn off the boob tube and come outside to reinforce what the police have started. We truly need to take back our neighborhood.
And that starts by first controlling your own house. If you have individuals creating havoc, why are you allowing them to live or visit at your house? Once every house on the block has taken control of itself, we will have a quiet, peaceful and productive community. Then the police can move on to other areas.
Because if they didn’t have to babysit our community, then they could focus on solving the multitude of crimes and murders that are simmering on the backburner.
