* Shot…
Lightfoot also called “fundamentally untrue” a Twitter claim by Chance the Rapper that Chicago Police have been more aggressive in enforcing the stay-at-home order in African-American neighborhoods than they have in predominantly white neighborhoods.
Lightfoot said she starts her day looking at two pivotal numbers — overnight violence and police dispersal orders.
“I can tell you, based upon the statistics we’ve been keeping now for weeks, those dispersal orders are happening all over the city. Yes, in white areas, in Latinx areas, in monied areas of the city,” she said.
“Why the media doesn’t report that with equal interest — well, I think there’s probably some answers to that. But the reality is that the Chicago Police Department is active and engaged all over the city and doing it with an eye toward equity. And I would have it no other way as mayor of this city.”
* Chaser…
Despite the mayor’s claim that police have enforced social distancing equally across Chicago, data shows almost all arrests and citations for congregating have been issued on the city’s South and West sides.
All 13 arrests and 11 of 13 citations have been issued in majority-Black and Latino neighborhoods on the South and West sides, according to public records obtained by Block Club Chicago.
Between March 20 and May 21, 13 people were arrested for violating the stay at home orders. Ten were Black, one was white and two were juveniles whose race and arrest reports were withheld.
Thirteen others received citations. Of those, 11 were located in majority-minority neighborhoods on the South and West Sides. Detailed reports and demographic information were not provided for the citations. […]
Block Club has requested the number of dispersals of groups per police district. Chicago Police did not respond to a request for comment.
Since the dispersal order statistics by police district are available to the mayor every morning, perhaps she can now make those reports available to the public.
- @misterjayem - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:03 am:
“[The] Chicago Police Department is active and engaged all over the city and doing it with an eye toward equity.”
Majority-Black and Latino neighborhoods on the South and West sides accounted for 85% of the citations issued.
Perhaps the CPD needs to train BOTH eyes on equity.
– MrJM
- Amalia - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:04 am:
I’m unconvinced that there are dispersal orders all over the city. I’m also unconvinced that there are streets blocked with cars and a crowd of people surrounding all over the city.
- Hippopotamus - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:07 am:
I am unconvinced all parts of the City are equally violating the spirit and letter of the gathering prohibitions.
- Montrose - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:16 am:
This feels like another situation where Lightfoot would help herself a lot by not categorically denying a claim by someone she has decided is against her. Say something more diplomatic that allows you to revisit the data and make changes if the data shows disparities.
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:16 am:
- I am unconvinced -
I’m sure that would make up for the 85% being in neighborhoods of color when they account for 50% of the population.
A quick drive through Lincoln Park on a nice day makes it pretty obvious this is BS.
- Downstate - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:17 am:
Can anyone from Chicago offer input on the cameras that are in the problem areas of Chicago?
It seems that if red light cameras were so critical for citizen safety, the same logic would dictate that the HEAVY use of cameras to record license plates, etc. would be beneficial in some of the neighborhoods to stem the tide of the senseless killing that’s going on.
- Chatham Resident - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:24 am:
I shared this link in the open thread, but similar charges were raised by Springfield alderpersons Shawn Gregory and Doris Turner last night in the monthly Committee of the Whole meeting:
https://www.sj-r.com/news/20200527/spd-not-enforcing-stay-at-home-order-equally-springfield-aldermen-say
“The aldermen, speaking at their bimonthly Committee of the Whole meeting, said the distinction was made clear this past week when a group of mostly-white and out-of-town protesters were allowed to march on city streets — and were given a police escort — to the State Capitol and back without a permit.
On the other hand, several house parties and other large gatherings on the city’s mostly-black east side, including one in Comer Cox Park this past weekend, have routinely been broken up by Springfield police.
Ward 2 Ald. Shawn Gregory, who initiated the discussion, said he did not support those who were partying against state orders. But, he said the perception of there being two sets of rules, one for east side residents and one for downtown protesters, is frustrating.”
- City Zen - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:26 am:
==Majority-Black and Latino neighborhoods on the South and West sides accounted for 85% of the citations issued.==
And 60% of the Chicago population. Or, in the case of this extremely small sample size, 3 more people than the statistical average. I suppose when they got to 8, they could’ve dispatched all squads to Wrigleyville until they reached their equity quota.
- Just Me 2 - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:33 am:
I know this was coming. My assumption is because the disease is disproportionally impacting minorities, enforcement would also be focused on those same minorities.
- Maybe1 - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:34 am:
Perhaps some communities are far more compliant, to civil societal norms?
- Numbers - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:37 am:
From the comments on a reddit thread about a blockclub article about the same issue:
== No one was arrested for social distancing between April 8 and May 21, according to the police department. ==
- La Dictadora - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:39 am:
Man, does she emulate a lot of Trump’s tendencies. Was hoping for more integrity when she was elected but it’s clear she has very little. Also, anyone hear her answer a reporter question on Friday with “yes, we have cases of people catching COVID on the lakefront” and then hear Dr. Arwady masterfully clean that up immediately after? I used to think she needed new senior staff to help her out because she’s a rookie, but I think she intentionally surrounds herself with puppets because she can’t take a reality check.
- Telly - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:45 am:
We know that areas with higher crime rates are patrolled by a higher number of police officers, so a higher number of dispersal orders in those areas is not unexpected.
Another way to determine if dispersal orders are being selectively issued would be to examine citizens’ complaints to 911 about gatherings and how CPD responds to those calls. The response rate would be a pretty good indication if CPD is blowing off social distancing complaints in predominantly white neighborhoods and selectively breaking up crowds and parties in communities of color.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:46 am:
===so a higher number of dispersal orders in those areas is not unexpected. ===
The mayor specifically said that is not the case. Learn to read.
- Cheryl44 - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:54 am:
With respect Rich, we know what the mayor said. We just don’t know where her information comes from.
- Perrid - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:56 am:
Are dispersal orders considered citations or arrests? Or could both be true, with a dispersal order being step 1 and citations or arrests being step 2 and 3?
- @misterjayem - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 11:09 am:
“And 60% of the Chicago population.”
And 100% of arrests.
– MrJM
- Telly - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 11:14 am:
“Learn to read.”
Geez, and I thought the governor was in a crabby mood.
I did read what they mayor said, but I’m a little skeptical about it given she didn’t produce data — which I thought was the point of this thread. Just trying to suggest there are multiple data sets that might indicate “who’s telling the truth.”
- Leslie K - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 11:28 am:
===Are dispersal orders considered citations or arrests? Or could both be true, with a dispersal order being step 1 and citations or arrests being step 2 and 3?===
Dispersal orders and citations/arrests are different things. You are correct though–normally there would be a dispersal order first. Refusal to disperse would then lead to a citation or arrest. Citations are favored, if that seems likely to gain compliance.
- City Zen - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 11:37 am:
==And 100% of arrests.==
Thirteen arrests. Maybe in the next batch of 13 arrests, there will be four Logan Square hipsters and an Asian fellow. We can only hope.
- West Side the Best Side - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 11:44 am:
What am I doing wrong? Thought I had two comments posted here, but they disappeared. Was it something I said or my tablet, which I am having problems with?
- Silicon Prairie - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 12:11 pm:
I think Chance needs to visit the 3700,3800 and 3900 of Chicago avenue and see what happens on a daily basis. Many people of corners all day and night. So many are arrested they have a police trailer on an empty lot
- Stuff Happens - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 12:12 pm:
Unfortunately, the number of arrests and citations are meaningless without more data.
We do know some things like population density. But do we know if social distancing is being followed equally (I honestly have no idea.
It would be good to know how many police are patrolling each area too. I hope the police end up answering that request with real numbers.
- R A T - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 12:12 pm:
Am I misinterpreting that the police care more about black people and do not want us to pass Covid along but they do not care if rich, white people get each other sick?
- Donnie Elgin - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 12:16 pm:
almost all arrests and citations for congregating have been issued on the city’s South and West sides.
Perhaps for that one time period, there were more citizens from those areas that were in violation of the Stay at Home order - than from other areas .
- Montrose - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 12:20 pm:
‘Am I misinterpreting that the police care more about black people and do not want us to pass Covid along but they do not care if rich, white people get each other sick?”
Yes.
- Anyone Remember - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 12:26 pm:
Is this still part of the issue?
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/4/3/21207603/chicago-police-department-darrell-spencer-stay-off-west-side-streets-order
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 12:47 pm:
===We just don’t know where her information comes from===
Which is the entire point of this post.
- NorthsideNoMore - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 12:52 pm:
CPD has different issues in every precinct in the city…crowd dispersal in one area may save more lives than in another but not corona related. How they go about it might be different too.
- VerySmallRocks - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 1:05 pm:
The double standard of enforcement in general, and pandemic ordinances in particular, between people of color, and white people, especially angry, armed right-wingers, is quite apparent.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 1:13 pm:
Long Memorial Day Weekend violence statistics for gun crime: 10 killed, 42 wounded
Or maybe the fact that this happened over the weekend…none of which were anywhere BUT the West and South sides. Lived on the South Side for 8 years. Big gatherings equals potential violence due to inter gang conflicts simmering.
What else can CPD do to stop it?
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 1:47 pm:
Dispersal orders and arrests are not the same thing. You don’t get arrested if you comply with the dispersal order. There could be parity with dispersal orders and disparity with arrests.
- @misterjayem - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 2:12 pm:
“We should ignore the uniform data available to us because there might maybe be different data someday” is certainly one approach to data analysis, but I wouldn’t characterize it as intellectually rigorous.
– MrJM
- Chatham Resident - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 3:40 pm:
It’s happening in NYC too:
https://www.newsweek.com/81-percent-nypds-social-distancing-summonses-were-issued-blacks-latinos-its-new-stop-frisk-1502841?fbclid=IwAR3HHhfsGgG4u4RIw5rQO9fhvY9fR4OCKowNd7eTgH0EEqdMRgo24QNBShs
- Lakes Pulaski - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 4:36 pm:
Sounds legit
- Michael Westen - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 8:04 pm:
“The mayor specifically said that is not the case. Learn to read.”
If the Mayor says it then it must be true. Let’s stop discussing it then.
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:22 pm:
- If the Mayor says it then it must be true. -
Are you really so dumb you can’t even read the title of the post? Is it embarrassing to be this dumb?
- My 2 Cents - Wednesday, May 27, 20 @ 10:42 pm:
==Are you really so dumb you can’t even read the title of the post? Is it embarrassing to be this dumb?==
Weird, my civil comment doesn’t get posted but this extremely uncivil post does?
- ChicagoBars - Thursday, May 28, 20 @ 8:22 am:
I’m just here to toast the “Shot” and “Chaser” format this post.
As the honorable gentleman from Oswego
- Chatham Resident - Thursday, May 28, 20 @ 10:51 am:
Here’s Bruce Rushton’s take on social distancing/large groups enforcement by Springfield police this weekend, involving large groups in mostly minority areas of the city:
https://www.illinoistimes.com/springfield/pandemic-enforcement-remains-uncertain/Content?oid=12198787
“Meanwhile, Springfield police, while making no arrests and issuing no citations, have been breaking up gatherings in parks and elsewhere. A Facebook video posted shortly after midnight on Memorial Day shows police using pepper spray to disperse a crowd at the Near North Crossing strip mall on North Grand Avenue. Another video posted about an hour earlier shows a crowd gathered in the JC Penney parking lot on South Dirksen Parkway. Police chief Kenny Winslow said via email that he didn’t know much about either gathering. “I know we had issues throughout the weekend with pop-up parties but I don’t have the specifics on these locations,” Winslow said.”