Veronica Lewis son Korey Parker was murdered last summer, but the case remains unsolved and Lewis says Chicago police have not been very responsive to her calls | WBEZ 91.5 Chicago
On a warm, sunny April afternoon, Veronica Lewis stands and stares at the spot where her 27-year-old son was murdered last year.“I know Korey isn’t the only one to be killed in Chicago,” she says. “But I just want answers to my questions.” Korey Parker was murdered July 4th last year. He had spent the […]
Across the Country, Neighborhoods Gather, Celebrate National Night Out
In theory, National Night Out sounds a little strange — encourage thousands of residents, in cities nationwide to throw block parties and barbecues that will be attended by city law enforcement. In practice, National Night Out is a city-sanctioned, nationwide, one-night event to encourage residents to get to know their neighbors and reclaim their streets, […]
Lakeview Residents Voice Concerns About Safety
About 40 concerned local residents and police officers met earlier this month to discuss robberies and assaults that have occurred recently in Lakeview. Although crime rates have been decreasing, several residents said this is the most insecure they have felt in a long time. “Halsted used to be rough in the ’90s, but I felt […]
Homicides take toll on those who lay victims to rest
Large pictures of his two children, ages 6 and 9, sit on a table next to his desk. Although Spencer Leak Jr. enjoys looking at the images, he often lays them down on the table when customers come into his office – out of respect for their loss of a child sometimes not much older than […]
Victim rights start with the arrest of a suspect
Someone has murdered your loved one, there are no suspects and soon the case goes cold. You’re not sure how to pay for the funeral, you have questions for investigators, and your family could benefit from counseling. What do you do? What rights do you have? Where do you turn? There’s little the state of […]
Homicide victim’s mother sees progress in Englewood
Christopher Reeves’ younger brother Jermaine Reeves dedicated himself to “making Chris proud” after his brother’s killing. Kimberly Reeves says he’s excelling at Benedict College in Columbia, S.C., but she’s nervous about summer break. “I just wish he could stay there at school. He’ll be home (in June), and he won’t go back until August, so […]
Killer on the line
Carla Allen’s voice shakes as she recalls the brief conversation she had with her daughter’s killer. “He called and asked me for forgiveness,” says Allen. “He said, ‘That was my friend. I didn’t mean to hurt my friend.’” The call came two years ago, just days after the May 30, 2011, killing of her 16-year-old […]
Left in the dark
More than eight months after the killing of an Uptown salon owner, friends and family are growing impatient with the Chicago Police Department’s progress in finding her killer. Since Sept. 2, 2012, when 45-year-old Yolanda Holmes was found dead of multiple stab wounds and a gunshot wound to the head in her apartment, police have […]
CAPS wrap: Police warn of robberies in Ashburn neighborhood
Police warned Ashburn residents of criminals targeting the elderly at a CAPS meeting last month in the neighborhood on the city’s Southwest side. Held at Bogan High School, the CAPS meeting covered crime in Chicago Police District 8, beat 834, between Kedzie Avenue, Pulaski Road and Cicero Avenue, and the areas between 79th and 87th […]
CAPS wrap: Police warn Douglas residents about criminals who target elderly, increase in cell phone snatches
Chicago police officers warned elderly residents in the Douglas neighborhood on the South Side not to buzz strangers into their homes at a Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy meeting last month. “Criminals target senior buildings because they know the residents are vulnerable,” Chicago police officer Angela Winburn-Wright said at the CAPS meeting for police beat 131. “It’s not […]
CAPS wrap: Garfield Ridge residents told to look out for scam artists
Chicago police warned residents of confidence games targeted at senior citizens at a Garfield Ridge neighborhood CAPS meeting last month. Sgt. Allen Cain said the safety of senior citizens remains an important issue, in part because “con men” have been targeting residents in the neighborhood. “If someone is at your front door, and they say they’re […]
Proposal to expand gun offender registry earns inital approval
A Chicago City Council committee approved a mandatory gun offender registry yesterday that would require that all people convicted of a gun-related crime tell the city where they live. The legislation, sponsored by Ald. Edward Burke (14th), will create a gun registry for the city, which will act similarly to the mandatory registry used for […]
Englewood residents deal with perception, reality of neighborhood
Carvell Robinson says he has lived with his parents in Englewood for a year and has grown accustomed to the negative attention the neighborhood receives. “Oh, it’s as bad as they say it is,” said Robinson, 20. “I’m not allowed to go out after dark. My mom thinks of any excuse to keep me inside.” […]
Beware of Cell Phone Snatches in South Loop
The 1st District Police have issues an alert about a rash of cellphone snatches in the South Loop area this week, on Thursday. The alert says there has been an increase in robbery related incidents during the month of January. In these incidents, lone female victims have been approached on the street during the daytime hours and had […]
Roseland Profile
Jackeé McCoy of Roseland says her younger sister was walking to school one day in the blighted neighborhood when she was raped. McCoy, 20, said, “The police did not come to our house. They didn’t come until after the news came. It wasn’t a rush thing.” McCoy, who has lived in Roseland for six years, […]
Austin Residents Look For Hope, Encourage Unity To Revive Community
Austin looks for a solution – area leaders and advocates say – that doesn’t just depend on increased police presence, but relies on community organizing for equitable distribution of resources; better schools and adult education and workforce preparation; changes in juvenile justice; community centers and youth programs and creating an environment that can give residents hope.
Social Media Helps Uptown Residents Stay Safe, Knowledgeable
In Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, Donte Gilliam was walking to his job with the CTA when he was suddenly confronted by a man. On the corner of Lawrence and Kenmore, five guys surrounded him; four of them had guns. Uptown (Photo credit: Alex Barth) “The guy asked me what I was doing. I told him I was […]
With A New Alderman, Uptown Still Struggles with Gang Violence and Crime
It was a late afternoon in Uptown. As commuters started to make their way home from work on Dec. 5, a police SWAT team, a helicopter and about two dozen police cars surrounded a building in the 4600 block of North Broadway Street, where, after an arrest was made, three other men barricaded themselves as […]
