Residents gathered Thursday for a 24th Ward community meeting hosted by Alderwoman Monique Scott to discuss crime, sanitation and neighborhood coordination, with a focus on strengthening local blocks.
About 50 people attended the meeting, held at the Homan Square Community Center.
In a follow-up post, Scott called the session a “great conversation” with strong turnout, highlighting collaboration with city agencies and community partners to move the ward forward.
“We can get our block clubs stronger because much of what we do together, that’s community. I know you see a lot of new things going up in the neighborhood. We have a lot of projects that are going on and I’m excited about that,” Scott said.
Sean Smith, a district superintendent with Chicago Streets and Sanitation, spoke about enforcement efforts, cleanup initiatives and proper waste practices across the West Side.
He said the department is strictly enforcing ticketing measures and noted that a “Clean and Green” spring cleanup will begin April 18.
“Once you establish a group, just submit a request through 311, tell us how many people you have, and we’ll provide all the tools, bags, shovels, rakes. Place your bagged tree debris and garbage in a designated location, and we’ll send trucks to clean everything up. We’re working heavily in the 24th Ward for this cleanup and with many participants expected, we need everyone’s help,” Smith said.
Smith warned that illegal dumping remains a major issue, urging residents to report offenders as the city enforces strict penalties.
Chicago Police Commander Michael Tate also spoke, emphasizing the importance of calling 911, explaining that emergency services serve as the primary line of protection, while the alderman’s office acts only as a backup.
“The last 28 days, the total number of calls for service was 1,171, with the most common being disturbances, which is positive since they are not violent incidents. There were also 51 calls reporting a person with a gun and 13 calls for shots fired during that period,” Tate said. “Year to date, there have been 3,409 calls for service in the 24th Ward and 11th District, with the most common call being for domestic disturbance.”
Tate also invited members of his team to briefly introduce themselves so residents could become familiar with the officers serving their community.
Tate described an ongoing crime pattern affecting the 10th and 11th districts, where individuals are breaking into stores and stealing ATM machines as part of a citywide trend. They urged residents and business owners to remain vigilant.
Another citywide crime Tate discussed is airbag thefts from Honda Civics.
“The airbags are being taken and sold to various auto shops, which may then resell them to community members whose cars were burglarized,” Tate said.
CAPS (Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy) is a community policing program that brings together police, residents and city agencies to work collaboratively in identifying and solving neighborhood crime issues.
“We have CAPS teams in the 11th, 10th, and 15th districts, along with a liaison who can work with anyone we know is a victim of domestic violence, which is a very serious issue, especially in this community. We want to make sure we stay on top of that,” Tate said.