A Chicago neighborhood hired a private security firm to combat rising crime in the city, according to Fox-32.
The Bucktown Neighbors Association said in a letter to the community that it intended to hire an “armed guard” from P4 Security Solutions to monitor a portion of the neighborhood in a marked vehicle “for 8 to 10 hours a day.”
“To help deter the rash of crime in Bucktown, neighbors between Winchester and Paulina are organizing a private security patrol,” the letter states. “There are similar patrol programs in place in nearby neighborhoods. Our program is being coordinated by the newly established non-profit, the Bucktown Neighbors Association.”
Residents were also asked to contribute toward a $190,000 per year fee for the security service.
The armed guard will “not have arrest powers or jurisdiction to make an arrest,” but he would be able to “interject” in potentially dangerous situations if a resident’s “life is in imminent danger,” the neighborhood explained.
In Chicago’s 14th district, which includes the Bucktown neighborhood, carjackings and gun violence have increased significantly.
Other parts of the city have also become the target of crime. Chicago police had to consider shutting down the city’s central business district entirely to stop the looting and violence that has ransacked downtown.
“They are trying to prevent the chaos and commotion in the heart of downtown,” a local news outlet reported. “Police arrested 21 young people, and several police officers and others were hurt in a melee that spilled over from parks into streets and intersections.”
Democrat Mayor Lori Lightfoot, however, does not seem too worried about the rise in crime, insisting that retailers are responsible for their own security.
“We also got to push retailers,” she said earlier this month. “Some of the retailers downtown and [on] Michigan Avenue, I will tell you, I’m disappointed that they are not doing more to take safety and make it a priority.”
