Press Release
At Mayor's Safety Meeting Tonight, Westside Voters Present $10 Million Emergency Plan for the Crime-Overwhelmed Garfield Park Neighborhood
Press Conference
Today at 5:30pm Outside the Entrance Doors of Daley College 7500 S. Pulaski Rd., Followed by Public Comments at Mayor Lightfoot's 6pm Safety Town Hall
Press Release Contacts
Roger Romanelli, Westside Infrastructure Coalition/Coordinator and Fulton Market Association/Executive Director, 773-531-6370
Tiffany Smith, Westside Resident, 773-600-3959
Annette Britton, Westside Resident, 480-620-7917
Cynthia Bednarz, Westside Resident, 312-925-0711 (2019 Candidate, 27th Ward Alderman)
Etta Johnson, Westside Resident, (773) 547-2114
Alice Jordan, Westside Resident, 312-925-0216
Chicago IL - Sick and tired of violent, life-threatening crimes in Chicago's Garfield Park neighborhood (Kedzie Ave. to Cicero Ave. and Chicago Ave. to Eisenhower Expressway), Westside voters are attending Mayor Lori Lightfoot's safety meeting tonight and proposing a $10 million emergency plan to halt crimes in their neighborhood: carjackings, drug dealing, assaults, break-ins, shootings and killings.
The Garfield Park neighborhood is dangerous and despondent. Gangs and drug dealers fight for turf and kill innocent people. The park district's "Garfield Park" inside the neighborhood is a haven for criminals. Disgusting garbage is strewn everywhere. There are no grocery stores and very few restaurants or other businesses providing jobs and hope to thousands of impoverished residents.
At 5:30pm today, leaders of the Westside Infrastructure Coalition will hold a press conference outside the doors of Daley College. At 6pm, the group will enter Lightfoot's meeting and try to advance their $10 million emergency safety plan for the Garfield Park neighborhood:
$2 million for new Chicago Police cameras and better streetlights around and inside the park district's Garfield Park bordered by Lake St., Madison St., Hamlin Ave. and Homan Ave. Residents next to the park live in constant fear of violence and death. Community members are afraid to use the park, which should be a safe place.
$2 million to help homeowners install exterior security video cameras to capture criminal activity, deter crime and provide evidence to the police.
$2 million to pay needy residents to clean up local parks and streets, as a bridge for them to gain free government social services and get away from criminal activities.
$2 million to pay residents an hourly wage to enroll in free community colleges or free job placement programs to move toward meaningful employment.
$2 million for substance-abuse recovery centers to get people off of drugs and reduce the power of gangs and drug dealers who are killing innocent children and adults.
Mayor Lightfoot sits on $2 billion in 140 Chicago TIF districts. For Garfield Park's Midwest TIF, there's about $40 million. Already, City Hall poured $100 million TIF funds into Navy Pier and Fulton Market. Surely, the mayor can spend $10 million TIF funds to halt Garfield Park's crime epidemic.
Today is the 54th year since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - - who strived for peace, justice and prosperity in African-American communities across America - - was assassinated in Memphis TN. Since Garfield Park is comprised mostly of African-Americans who suffer constantly from violent crimes, crushing poverty and a lack of government investment, Dr. King's legacy is invoked to compel Lightfoot to act.
For more information:
Roger Romanelli
Coordinator, Westside Infrastructure Coalition, www.fixthewestside.com
Executive Director, Fulton Market Association, www.fultonmarketchicago.org
P 773-531-6370
U.S. Non-Profit Agency Since 1996
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