Tag: Chicago

“These three gangs were not sophisticated drug-trafficking organizations,” said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance in announcing the two indictments. “Far from it, they were young people protecting their territories from imaginary threats and avenging the murders of fellow gang members and loved ones.” Investigators from Vance’s office worked with gang squad detectives and Department of Correction officials to review more than 1 million Facebook pages, tens of thousands of phone calls from the Rikers Island jail complex and hundreds of hours of video footage in preparing the case, Vance said. Surveillance video, taken from cameras in the buildings’ elevators, hallways and grounds, were a major benefit to investigators, Bratton said. But not all public housing developments have video. Nearly 60 percent of the city’s public housing buildings don’t have a single camera installed — including one in Brooklyn where two small children were stabbed Sunday, one fatally. “We embrace it, we need it,” Bratton said of crime-fighting technology such as camera systems. “There’s not a case I get briefed on in my crime briefings or my counterterrorism briefings each morning that doesn’t have some significant technology component to it.” SOURCE:  103 suspected gang members charged in NYC case – Yahoo News.

Being from a small rural town I can’t understand how this type of gang violence can be tolerated in our major cities. I know it was on months ago but just watched part of the series from CNN entitled “Chicagoland”. It was about downsizing the Chicago’s school districts to align with the current population. The biggest argument against closing schools was that students would then have to cross other gang neighborhoods to get to schools. They say if the kids have to travel more than two blocks that they will likely be beaten or killed by rival gangs!

One of the TV shows I watch on a regular basis is “Person of Interest”. It is a show about the “machine” which supposedly links all cameras in our country together and looks for potential terrorists. I doubt that such a machine exists yet but I’m sure some are dreaming of that ultimate incorporation of our technology.

It looks like Chicago could learn a few lessons from NYC. Chicago has been in the news the last few years as being the murder capital of the country and the primary cause of that is gang violence. Gangs are nothing more that thugs who want to be big fish in little ponds. Because much of inner-city life is one of desperation they want to have control over at least a small segment of it. Chicago needs a “mini-machine” to record all the violence that occurs in its neighborhoods and then take those who cause it to court. Get rid of the thugs and maybe the neighborhoods would become peaceful once again.

But I am just a simple guy so what do I know…..

Well actually it is a lion that was in front of the Art Institute of Chicago during our Christmas week visit.  Many interesting things in the museum but the photography exhibit was a total disappointment!

Here is a picture of Yvonne at the ChristKindlMarket in Chicago last week. They had 200 booths from Germany and Eastern Europe there. She was indeed a happy shopper.

Here is another picture of our recent time in Chicago. This is the ChristkindlMarket at Daley Plaza. There were booths from all over Germany and Eastern Europe so there were many unique things to be seen and bought.  And Yvonne certainly bought her share

We spent the four days before Christmas this year in Chicago. The picture above was taken from our hotel room window.  As you can see we stayed in the heart of the city. More pictures from this trip coming soon.