After a summer of turmoil in the city's 44th and 46th wards over a feared increase in violent crime, three separate shootings have put Uptown residents on alert in recent days.
Two shootings occurred Aug. 28, one of which resulted the fatality of a 23-year-old man. Another took place on Aug. 30 at Sunnyside and Sheridan, leaving two wounded.
According to 46th Ward Ald. James Cappleman, the increase in violence is thought to be gang-related.
"This is the time of year when gang recruitment intensifies," he said. "This is a small percentage of people committing a majority of the crimes."
Cappleman was slated to unveil his master plan for the ward on public safety at a Sept. 6 CAPS (Community Alternative Policing Strategy) meeting.
Cappleman said that he and 23rd Dist. Police Commander Kathy Boehmer have been meeting with landlords and business owners to address the issue.
The alderman wants landlords to edit their leases for business owners, requiring them to keep their front windows clear of debris and visible from the street. He is also working with police to identify specific buildings with high crime rates and meeting with those landlords. Those initiatives are also being carried out by residents as part of a volunteer public safety taskforce in the ward.
The shootings come at a sensitive time for many living in the neighboring Lakeview and Uptown neighborhoods, after a summer of well-documented violent incidents have made many residents worry about crime in their communities.
"Residents are understandably very upset," Cappleman said. "They want more police."
The Beat 2311 CAPS meeting will be at Truman College on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m.