Foot patrol officer assigned to Jefferson Park business area

by BRIAN NADIG

The 16th (Jefferson Park) Police District recently assigned a foot patrol officer to the Milwaukee-Lawrence commercial district.

Until about 20 years ago, foot patrols could be seen on a daily basis in the business corridor, but those patrols were pulled from Jefferson Park and other commercial areas as the district experienced a decline in personnel.

However, in the past 2 years the number of officers and supervisors in the district has increased from about 210 to 250. Earlier this year, a foot patrol officer was assigned to the Belmont-Central shopping district.

Officer Bob Bolech, a 24-year police veteran, will be patrolling the Jefferson Park CTA Terminal, 4917 N. Milwaukee Ave., and the adjacent business district from about 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. He recently had been working in the district’s community policing office.

Bolech’s presence should help deter crime in the area and help the district better identify existing problems, as he will be checking in with business owners on a regular basis, said district captain Hootan Bahmandeji.