Police to hold Jeff Park ‘positive loitering’ event; more arrests occur at CTA terminal than anywhere else in district

by BRIAN NADIG

The 16th (Jefferson Park) Police District is asking residents to join officers for what is being called "a night of positive loitering" Friday, June 19, at several locations near the Milwaukee-Lawrence intersection.

The event is part of a series of "faith and action" initiatives which the district is hosting. Last month the district held an outdoor roll call at Chopin Park, 3420 N. Long Ave., following a problem with graffiti near the park.

District commander Roger Bay said that the Jefferson Park business district was chosen for the June 19 event because of the homeless and vagrancy problems in the area and because more arrests occur at the Jefferson Park Neighborhood Transit Center, 4917 N. Milwaukee Ave., than any other location in the district. He said that the fact that there are problems at the terminal is not surprising given the high volume of people who travel through there.

The most common arrest at the transit center occurs after officers question someone who was smoking in the CTA terminal or drinking alcohol on the Metra platform and learns that the person is wanted on a warrant, Bay said. There also have have some drug-related arrests at the terminal, he said.

The event will start at 6:30 p.m. with a prayer led by a local pastor and a brief discussion of community conditions at the Jefferson Park Library, 5363 W. Lawrence Ave., and then an outdoor roll call of officers will held at 6:50 p.m. at the transit center, where officers and residents will walk around together.

It will conclude at 7:15 p.m. at Jefferson Park, 4822 N. Long Ave., where beat officers will be available to meet with community members. For more information, call the district’s community policing office at 312-742-4521.