Lakeview residents and business owners gathered Aug. 9 across the street from the Chicago Police Department’s 23rd District office to demand more police foot patrol following a string of recent sexual assaults and attempted sexual assaults in the neighborhood, which includes Boystown.
Organized by the neighborhood organization Lakeview Citizens’ Council, those at the rally signed petitions demanding permanent night bike and foot patrol to combat what they feel is a significant spike in crime (although police say crime is down in the area). They voiced concern over recent multiple attacks against women in the area—the most recent occurring in broad daylight—as well as recent robberies and acts of vandalism. Just hours before the rally, an attempted robbery of a local shop took place, and an off-duty officer’s gun fired during the struggle. Nobody was harmed in the incident.
‘We are here tonight to walk in solidarity for those victims of crime in our neighborhood,’ Lakeview Citizens’ Council present David Winner said. ‘Let’s tell City Hall that we want our tax dollars spent in our community, and we want to stop crime before it gets out of hand.’
After passing out informational flyers regarding personal safety and voicing the need for patrol and solidarity, residents marched down Addison Street to the scene of a recent sexual assault against a Lakeview woman.