Recently, there have been some troubling and scary incidents in and around our community. While none of these incidents are linked in any way, I want to provide a rundown of what happened, what steps my office has taken, and how the Chicago Police Department is responding. See below for details.

On Wednesday, January 6, 2016, at approximately 1:50 p.m., two cars traveling eastbound on Lawrence Avenue encountered one another. Shots were fired from one of the cars, injuring the driver of the other. The wounded driver turned north on Bell Avenue to evade the attacker. The second car pursued the first car onto Bell Avenue. In the course of making the escape - the fleeing car jumped the curb in an attempt to bypass traffic, and damaged a fence near Argyle Avenue. More shots were fired when the pursuing vehicle caught up to them.

All victims have been uncooperative and have ties to gangs. This crime was not linked to any previous incident at Winnemac Park, and is believed to stem from a personal dispute between individuals in each vehicle. The 20th District has been providing special attention in the area around Winnemac Park over the past weeks. We will continue to work with 20th District Police and Ald. Patrick O'Connor to address public safety issues in our communities.

On Friday, January 8, 2016, at 7:30pm, shots were fired inside an apartment in the building located at 1950 W. Belle Plaine Avenue. The tenants of the apartment were hosting a party. Two of the guests at the party were involved in an altercation. One of the individuals had gang ties and pulled a gun, fired, and hit the individual he was arguing with. A friend of the person who was shot returned fire on the shooter, wounding him. The shooter then fired his weapon as he fell to the ground striking a third individual.

The individual who shot first passed away, and the two other victims are recovering. No charges were filed in this case as it was determined that the second shooter acted justifiably and used a legal gun. Following this incident, my office and the 19th District requested that the property manager of 1950 W. Belle Plaine Avenue serve the tenants of the apartment with notice to vacate. The tenants voluntarily vacated the unit a week later, and are no longer living in the building. It is important to note that none of the tenants of the building had any ties to gangs or any previous background which would have raised any red flags during a background check or with the Chicago Police Department.

At or around 12:00 am on Sunday, January 24, 2016, there were reports of shots fired near the alley entrance just north of Cullom Avenue on Claremeont Avenue. There were numerous calls to 911 and the Chicago Police Department responded immediately. There was no property damage or injury associated with this incident. Shell casings were recovered by Chicago Police on Sunday and additional casings were turned in by a neighbor and brought to our office this past Monday. We then turned over the shell casings to the Chicago Police Department. Because there was no property damage or injury, the Chicago Police Department believes that this incident steps from an individual/s firing a gun into the air from a vehicle. The Chicago Police Department continues to investigate the incident and have been dedicating resources and additional patrols to the area.

These incidents are jarring, scary, and a great cause for concern. But please know, these incidents are not connected to one another. That said, when incidents happen in rapid succession (like the most recent incidents), it is very unnerving. We take crimes committed in our community very seriously. It is no secret that our city is grappling with gun crime on a daily basis. And these recent incidents demonstrate that no neighborhood is immune to gun violence. In all of these instances, there were no indicators to the police or to our office that these crimes were going to occur. The police department responded to each incident quickly, and I want to thank them for their service and for working with our community to address people's concerns in recent CAPS meetings. I also want to thank all of the neighbors who called 911 and followed-up with our office to share information or to share concerns.

We also want to remind you that when there are actionable steps on emerging public safety issues, my office partners with the appropriate City agency/department to take action. Examples include:

These are just a few examples of actions we've taken. When any concerns around quality of life and crime arise, we take immediate action. Recent incidents are not tied to a problem establishment, a pattern of activity, or other local problem. A lack of pattern is preferable - because a lack pattern or emerging activities indicates there is no consistent danger or persistent criminal element taking root in our neighborhoods. That said, the randomness of these incidents is what is most frightening. Please know, additional patrols are in the area and the commanders are providing special attention, but the overall level of safety in our community has not changed.

In the wake of these incidents, we have received a number of calls from neighbors asking what they can do to around public safety issues. The most important thing that you can do is to dial 9-1-1 when you see any suspicious or criminal activity in the neighborhood. People often state reluctance to call 911 on suspicious behavior or other things that may not be crimes in progress. Calls for service create a record of problems and help inform police patrols. Calls for service around problem establishments help my office take action. In sum, never hesitate to call 911. The dispatchers and police will decide what calls are the most important at any given time so you do not have to worry about taking officers away from where they may be needed.

In addition, please contact my office if there are chronic or ongoing concerns related to businesses or suspicious activity in our community. We work closely with our police commanders, CAPS offices, and other city departments to identify problems and address them. Do not hesitate to send information to CAPS and to our office. Contact information for both the 19th and 20th District can be found on chicago47.org.

Be sure to talk with your neighbors. Build phone trees, email lists, facebook pages, and communicate with one another in whatever way is best for your block and neighborhood. Knowing who lives on your block will help spot and combat criminals looking for opportunities to commit their crimes.

Please attend your next CAPS meeting. CAPS meetings provide a forum on public safety issues. The meetings link the Chicago Police Department and neighbors to discuss ongoing concerns, review details on local crimes, review data on the overall level of crime, and to foster working relationships to help tackle problems that could lead to criminal behavior. Click here to find your beat and find the location/time of the next CAPS meeting.

My office will continue to work with the community and the police department to do all we can to combat crime in the 47th Ward. This includes advocating for additional officers and resources for our police districts. Public safety is a top priority for all of us, and I hope that you will stay engaged as we work to protect our community.

Have a great weekend.