Updated April 27th

We were asked what would we suggest for “Local Social Media” and “Block Clubs” that residents can subscribe to stay aware of these types of events.

On Social Media you can find and follow relevant sites, simply by searching with key words like Edgewater, Uptown, Andersonville, Chicago, etc. And for crime and/or news specific pages, include the word crime and news. For example on Facebook there is “Edgewater Chicago Crime Watch” and “Edgewater Chicago Neighborhood News”. There are probably others on other platforms.

You can perform similar searches on GOOGLE for other sites, feeds and pages as well.

The office gets updates from ASCO via e-mail, which is a local advocacy group for Condos and Co-ops. They will have crime alerts but also other stuff that is related to Condos and local government issues of interest.

You can join their mailing list:

https://ascosheridanroad.org/asco/contact-us/

Similarly you can join the Alderwoman’s contact list. We provide a link to that in the Weekly PT News and Updates, but you can join here:

https://mailchi.mp/the48thward/newsletter-signup

They send out a weekly newsletter, and other alerts and notices relative to the 48^th Ward.

Original Post April 25th

We Want To Alert Our Residents To Recent Incidents Around And Near The Park Tower Community And Neighborhood

First, on the afternoon of April 4th an 18-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy were shot while they were walking down the sidewalk of the 1100-block of West Catalpa Avenue at around 3:35 p.m. by someone in a dark-colored vehicle. It reportedly pulled up next to them and someone inside discharged a weapon injuring an 18 year old man in the left leg and right arm. His 16-year-old male companion was shot in the left arm and left leg. Both were taken to St. Francis Hospital thankfully in good condition, police said. It is our present understanding no one has been taken in to custody related to this event.

First, we learned of an armed robbery across the street on April 14th at around 10:30pm. A couple who live in The Metropolitan were robbed at gun point in front of their garage structure (between the Wing Hoe driveway and their garage driveway) after walking home from dinner on Bryn Mawr. Fortunately, no one was injured. The robbers were described as three young men wearing ski masks. They demanded cash and no other belongings.  Similarly, it is our present understanding no one has been taken in to custody related to this event.

Most recently, authorities engaged in a car chase (replete with a helicopter and spotlight) in the neighborhood on Sunday April 22nd around 9:15pm, reportedly in response to a car theft. (This was apparently a ‘KIA’ but is unconfirmed.) The vehicle was stopped on Catalpa just West of Broadway and one suspect was apprehended. Another occupant of the vehicle escaped and was chased on foot toward Bryn Mawr, and it is our present understanding was not captured.

Fortunately it seems the authorities are relatively quick to swing into action, but even so it can be too little to late. As residents of the neighborhood we need to be aware these things are happening close to home all too often. We need to be cautious, be aware, and report anything suspicious to the authorities without delay. If you observe an event in progress or believe you may be in harms way, if possible contact 911 immediately. If you observe or learn of any facts or information about crimes that have occurred, please also call 911.

We urge our Owners and residents to stay aware of this activity happening around us. We know there have been other troubling events in recent months and wish we had more time to highlight them as well. Unfortunately, as vital and important as it is we don’t always have the time we want to be a source for such information. With everything going on right here in the building which requires our focus and accountability, the plates are overflowing at times. Local social media sites and block clubs (like Block Club Chicago, and other Edgewater feeds) are particularly quick to report and follow up on crime and crimes in progress. One really easy way to stay aware is by setting up alerts on your smart phone. They can be very helpful since there won’t always be helicopters circling with a spotlight when a crime is in progress nearby.

Don’t hesitate to give us a head’s up if something happened or is happening nearby that may be of interest. As time and resources allow, we will do our best to evaluate any leads we get that are relevant to the community.