If the mayor and his police superintendent want the general public to “drop a dime on crime,” then we need proof-positive assurance that the person doing so will be safe. The recent targeted murder of two women (45 and 24) along with a 7-year-old (two other children, 5 and 8 were wounded and survived) by masked men using pistols and rifles at 6:15 in the morning leaves no doubts that those individuals are heartless killers.
The brick bungalow had wrought-iron fencing surrounding it. That didn’t keep the women safe. It had an ADP sign in the window, but that didn’t keep the family safe. Even the security door didn’t do anything (especially if the targeted assassination was personal and the women let the killers in).
With such killers around, you can’t just walk into a police station and name names. Even tips given to the online cpdtips.com does not give the assurance that the person speaking up can remain anonymous or safe.
The evening following the shooting, the city and the police put on a rally called “Operation Wake Up.” That rally did little to rally the crowd. There should have been anger beyond belief that grown men would target children to be shot. People living in the area should be turning over their security camera footage en masse. At this point in the investigation, we should at least see some images of the perpetrators and their vehicles. Instead, what occurred was a lukewarm rally and offers of Emergency Services Assistant Services at Fosco Park, 1312 S. Racine. That location is not conducive for easy access when the murders occurred at 71st and Woodlawn.
What Chicago needs is a witness protection program. It also needs 1-2 officers in every police district whose specific duties would include being available to people who want to “drop that dime.”
To tell what they know, the community needs to have confidence in the discretion of those officers. Without that, why would anybody talk? And the moment they give credible evidence, they need to be placed in witness protection, moved out of the city, and put somewhere safe.
Chicago may have home rule, but we need the Illinois General Assembly to put forth a comprehensive crime bill to address the 2024 criminals. Let’s reopen Tamms Supermax prison in southern Illinois. If the president of El Salvador within two years’ time can take his country from the most dangerous to now the safest, Illinois can do the same thing.
But we’ve got to be serious. When we lock them up, they need to know that we truly are throwing away the key.
Sources:
*https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-shooting-community-rallies-grand-crossing/15033208/ via abc7chicago App
*https://www.facebook.com/share/p/pKCwoy7LNT8CyzCe/?mibextid=oFDknk