Kelly Cassidy, 14th Dist. State Rep., met with constituents Jan. 17 to strategize on a perceived uptick in crime in the district.
Cassidy's district, which encompasses the heavily LGBT Rogers Park and Edgewater neighborhoods, has been on edge in recent weeks after a string of shootings, most of which involved gang disputes.
According to Cassidy, unseasonably warm temperatures could be to blame.
"It hasn't gotten cold enough to drive all the activities indoors," Cassidy said.
Crime rates tend to spike during warmer months, when more people spend time outside. But as the temperatures drop, so do the number of violent crimes. Police and community groups tend to use those colder months to prepare for the warmer times, said Cassidy.
But with temperatures remaining spring-like through January, those groups have lost time in addressing community issues.
Residents of Edgewater continue to be concerned about the Thorndale Red Line stop, which they say has been a "hot spot" in the neighborhood for years. In recent months, residents have tried to fill vacant store fronts with art and provide better street lighting, but those efforts have yet to pull in businesses that might deter crime, say residents.
Rogers Park residents say that the Howard Red Line stop is also a hot spot for crime.
Cassidy spent Jan. 13 with a team from the Chicago Transit Authority assessing all the Red Line stops in her district. In the coming years, many of those train stations will be updated in an effort to deter crime, she said.
Cassidy also wants to get more guns off the street. She is working two bills aimed at doing so, she said. House Bill 3809 would increase the penalties for providing a gun to a gang member while House Bill 3845 would make it easier for people to legally turn over guns to authorities.
Cassidy holds safety meetings at her Edgewater office approximately once a quarter. The last such meeting was held in October.