Chicago Housing Authority officials say they are on track to fulfill their promise to close by mid-January a building in Cabrini-Green that has long been a magnet for gun battles between gangs. That no doubt would be viewed as a holiday wish come true by Jenner Elementary School students and parents, whose treks to and from the school take them within firing distance of the building at 500-502 W. Oak St.
As long as the CHA is in the spirit of spreading peace and goodwill, though, it ought to take the opportunity to crack down on other violent hot spots that are putting the lives of innocent public housing residents in jeopardy.
At Cabrini-Green Wednesday, a group of residents brazenly beat up two CHA police officers outside their station. This after the police had arrested a 20-year-old tenant and reputed gang leader. For many residents not involved in the fray, the incident further eroded their trust in the ability of the police to protect them.
At Robert Taylor Homes, parents have been keeping their children out of school after a recent spate of gang-related shootings. Police say there have been eight killings in the last two weeks around the development, causing attendance at DuSable High School and three elementary schools in the area to dip. Parents and activists held a three-day conference this week at one of the schools, Beethoven, and many echoed the sentiments expressed by their Jenner counterparts. “I’m tired of the gangbangers and the shooting in this community,” one mother said.
The logical response ought to be to stop it. That, of course, takes a concerted community effort. But the upfront push has to come from the CHA, which must send clear signals that it will do whatever is necessary to protect those residents, adults and children, who just want to live peacefully.
That’s why it is vital that the CHA live up to its promise to close 500-502, a building virtually controlled by one gang and surrounded by buildings controlled by a rival gang. In mid-October, when Chicago Public Schools chief Paul Vallas threatened to close Jenner unless more was done to protect its students, CHA officials pledged to close their troublesome building instead and to do it in 60 to 90 days.
Now CHA officials should demonstrate the same level of commitment to Robert Taylor parents. They also must do whatever it takes–through training and community outreach–to establish the respectability of the CHA police department, which many residents see as unprofessional and ineffective. Otherwise, this season of holiday cheer will be bring an abundance of holiday fear to many public housing families.
