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Crime and punishment

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* I’ve become a big fan of AlderTrack this year for publishing stories that the other media is ignoring, like this fascinating piece…

Public testimony turned into a die-in and shouting match at Tuesday’s Cook County Board of Commissioners hearing on the proposed FY2016 budget, with an unusual heated exchange between Commissioners Robert Steele (2) and Deborah Sims(10), and a young woman advocating for $2 million in funding for restorative justice programs across the county. Roughly 20 activists, many in orange tees from Community Renewal Society, participated. The group also staged a vigil at a public hearing in Skokie.

Commissioners Steele and Sims’ exchanges with one protester, Victoria Crider, lasted more than 30 minutes.

“If you can come up with $7 million to lock people up, you can come up with $2 million to keep them away,” Crider, of FLY (Fearless Leading by the Youth) said, telling commissioners of color they should support a $2 million earmark for restorative justice programs. Steele, who hours before had committed to raising more funds for the program, told protesters, “Don’t depend on Cook County to bail everybody out. Ask foundations and corporations to invest in this.” He told protesters they should partner with commissioners, but was interrupted by Crider. The two, united on the issue a few hours earlier, spoke over each other about funding for the Cook County Jail.

Crider argued with Comm. Sims as well, insisting the County stop funding the jail, “those prisons aren’t stopping shootings from happening… And the police officers that you’ve got on the street, those are the ones that you need to see in prison,” she said, to applause from supporters.

After trying to explain why the County’s jails were necessary to lock up criminals like the shooter who killed a 9 year old boy the day before, Sims eventually lost her patience with Crider, who spoke over her repeatedly. She suggested Crider picked a poor target to argue with about gang violence, putting up her hand mid-sentence, “I live in Roseland, the Wild 100s, so you can’t talk to me.”

Finance Chairman Daley said Crider’s time at the podium was over, and Comm. Schneider spoke up, saying he supported Chicago police. A shouting match started up again, with one protester saying Chicago policemen had raped women in her community, and Crider continuing to argue with commissioners as she and other protesters left the Board room. Daley had the last word. “What are you going to tell the parents of that little baby? Don’t lock that individual up? Give me a break… Next speaker.”

The strong pockets of radicalism in Chicago never cease to fascinate me. Click here to subscribe to AlderTrack. It’s worth it.

* Meanwhile, this story appears to have disappeared from the Sun-Times website, but 2nd City Cop posted it…

Chicago Police officials are concerned the killing of 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee could set off a spree of violence targeting gang members’ innocent relatives — who have been considered off limits in the past, a law enforcement source said Wednesday.

The development came as Chicago police said a person of interest in the killing had turned himself in to police for questioning with his attorney this afternoon. Police declined to comment further.

After Tyshawn’s shooting, Police Supt. Garry McCarthy hopes Chicago’s gang conflicts don’t “go to a different level,” the source said.

Officers monitoring social media have flagged discussions of gang members speaking of possible retaliation against other gang members’ families.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 3:05 pm

Comments

== The strong pockets of radicalism in Chicago never cease to fascinate me. ==

The strong pockets of radicalism in Raunner never cease to disgust me.

Comment by sal-says Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 3:22 pm
Ms. Crider’s suggestion is a good one - and is one that could save money and further an agenda that moves away from a “lock ‘em up and throw away the key!” attitude - but she’s clearly agitated and runs into the old problem of the messenger (and not the message) being the problem.

I’m starting to notice an interesting trend in politics: rather than trying to meet with an official one-on-one, the impetus seems to be showing up at a public event and throwing a fit. What does that prove?! Is it a good idea to have a town hall if people are going to yell and shout and try to talk over each other?

Comment by Team Sleep Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 3:33 pm
Honor amongst thieves? Who knew it even existed?

Comment by Colin O'Scopey Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 3:37 pm
==was interrupted by Crider == Crider argued with Comm. Sims as well ==

Relevant scene from Billy Madison

==Mr. Madison, what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it.==

Comment by Formerly Known As... Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 3:44 pm
great backbone lessons demonstrated here. is FLY a not for profit?

Comment by Amalia Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 3:49 pm
Are we going to yearn for the good old days when gangsters only went after each other and families (especially children) were sacrosanct?

Comment by Aldyth Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 4:04 pm
Is the Associated Press a radical pocket of the media? It, too, had plenty to say about rapist cops this week.

Comment by crazybleedingheart Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 4:06 pm
It’s a sign of real schisms when advocates attack their closest allies, because they assume everyone else is completely unmovable.

Comment by walker Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 4:13 pm
@Aldyth - we may. CPD’s Sup McCarthy just said Tyshawn was ==”targeted, lured and murdered.”== They are connecting this to two shootings last month involving family.

The first happened October 13 after a ==gang call-in== meeting, an anti-violence effort by Chicago police and other law enforcement. The victim’s mother, who was also in the vehicle, was wounded by the gunfire, and police think he was followed by a rival gang member who also attended the meeting.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 4:22 pm
Well at least their 2nd Amendment “rights” are not infringed.

This what our Founders envisioned when they wrote this:

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Comment by Jack Stephens Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 4:23 pm
Second City Cop is an interesting place to find info that seems to have disappeared. They learned their lesson and post the article, not the link. Delving into the comments section is the opposite of CapFax and is a lesson in the stress and strain as well as a dark place of CPD.

Comment by Belle Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 4:24 pm
True enough, walker, but I don’t see any mention of advocates attacking allies in this particular story, do you?

Another truism: often, “allies” in the system spend a great deal of time and energy publicly “explaining” the system to advocates who actually understand it just fine, and a lot less time and energy changing the minds of their peers in a public body, including by enlisting advocate support to lobby them.

Comment by crazybleedingheart Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 4:25 pm
The Community Renewal Society http://www.communityrenewalsociety.org are anything but radicals. They are generally pretty hard nosed muckrakers and reformers. In addition to being faith-based organizers they also publish both Chicago Reporter, and Catalyst, which covers education and the Chicago Public Schools.
In general, I would call them the good guys.

Comment by West Sider Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 5:26 pm
Hillary Clinton was meeting in Chicago that same day with the parents of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and others. How many politicians will meet with parents of children killed like this little boy and then praise police for their work to stop gangs?

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 6:35 pm
If Crider has some new idea that will convince actual educated and experienced experts that her new program will prevent further crime, I’m all ears. But imprisoning dangerous people to prevent law-abiding people from being endangered is, in my opinion, the first function of government. Without that, chaos. Most people don’t want chaos. I don’t. So bring in your evidence Ms. Crider. Show us that we’ll be safe. Prove it.

Comment by park Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 7:37 pm
== I’m starting to notice an interesting trend in politics: rather than trying to meet with an official one-on-one, the impetus seems to be showing up at a public event and throwing a fit. What does that prove?! Is it a good idea to have a town hall if people are going to yell and shout and try to talk over each other? ==

I don’t know if it was the case here but, sometimes, after you’ve tried the one-on-one route and gotten nowhere, staging a gotya moment at a board meeting is what it takes to get action.

Comment by RNUG Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 9:04 pm
Ms. Crider doesn’t seem to understand that CCJ is a jail, and not a prison. I would assume that someone advocating for CJ reform would know the difference.

Comment by Jockey Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 10:22 pm
Bringing attention to important issues is radical?

Comment by Anon Thursday, Nov 5, 15 @ 10:53 pm
Belle, thank you for recommending the site Second City Cop. It is fascinating and disturbing in equal portions, but definitely educational.

Comment by Aldyth Friday, Nov 6, 15 @ 7:14 am
Recidivism is a big problem, with nearly 35% returning within three years of release from prison.

Research indicates offenders need services to help them find work and housing for successful community reentry. We already know this. We need to stop talking about it and make an investment in these people.

Comment by Politix Friday, Nov 6, 15 @ 8:57 am