As Chicago's residents prepare for summer and more time soaking up the sun along beachfront beaches, Ald. Vi Daley (43rd) is calling for police to install more surveillance cameras, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. As the weather heats up, so have incidents of beach violence along the North Avenue beach.
Vi Daley said she wants to curb gang activity at the beaches and believes cameras are one way to keep gang members away, or at least on their best behavior/
Chicago has seen more than its fair share of violence lately; so much, in fact, that state lawmakers last month called for the National Guard to step in and help keep the peace, according to CBS News. Chicago has had 113 homicide victims in so far this year, keeping Chicago criminal attorneys busy, and we haven't even reached the halfway point.
The city's lake beaches typically haven't seen much violence but recent incidents are changing that perception. An 18-year-old woman was beaten on the North Ave. beach last Monday by six 15-year-olds, while one teenager was shot and seriously injured at the same beach after flashing gang signs to others.
Vi Daley said she wants to get ahead of the curve and prevent additional shootings:
"We've never had this happen before. We don't usually have shootings along the beachfront. We need to get on top of it right away."
Mayor Richard Daley said he wants the Police Dept. and the Park District to take immediate action, although he acknowledged that fights often break out when people congregate on the beaches when the temperatures rise. Chicago Police Dept. spokesman Roderick Drew tried to reassure the public in his statement to the press:
"Keep in mind that we typically beef up the police presence along the lakefront around Memorial Day anyway, something that is expected with warmer temperatures."
Vi Daley also sounded confident that police will do everything they can, while repeating her calls for surveillance cameras to help in their efforts.
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