Your monthly message from Alderman Freddrenna M.

Lyle
Ff ffREDDRENNAFreddrenna M. Lyle

Volume X, Issue 5 May 2010

CRIME! Is it out of control?

Aldermanic Message Ri
Riders
waiting for
The topic of this month’s Ward meeting is crime. If
the bike ride
we are not successful in stopping the increasing violence
to begin.
in our communities, we will see a flight of the Black
middle class that will mirror White flight from the Cities
to Suburbia. The communities that remain after the law
abiding families leave will become wastelands of
poverty, despair and decay. It’s time for our natural
instincts to kick in and ‘fight or flight’. This meeting is
about what others are doing to aid us in our fight and
what we can do ourselves. The Bicycle
To begin this discussion, we need to understand that Ambassadors
we did not create this problem. Studies have documented perform a bike
safety clinic
that governmental policies and practices have created the before the event.
circumstances that cause crime to flourish. We didn’t
send the blue collar manufacturing jobs overseas; build
public housing units that concentrated female headed
households in a restricted geographic area for decades; ANNUAL 6TH WARD BIKE RIDE
create restrictive covenants; redline our selves into a Bring your family, friends and neighbors to Alderman
segregated community; destroy the school system; and Freddrenna Lyle’s Annual 6th Ward Bike Ride on
disavow the concept of family. We don’t grow coca Saturday, June 5th. Registration and the Bike Safety
beans or marijuana; have any stills in our yards or Clinic will begin at 8:00 a.m. and the bike ride kicks off
manufacture guns. Other people, and our government(s), at 9:00 a.m. You must register before the bike ride
local and federal created this perfect storm. We, while begins.
being tasked with living with, responding to and fighting The bike ride will start at Meyering Park (71st &
crime, are not the creators of the circumstances or risk King Dr.) and go south on King Dr. to Tuley Park (90th
factors that cause crime. Pl.). We’ll take a short break at Tuley Park, and then
Some of those risk factors include, large numbers of
return to Meyering Park for light refreshments.
unmarried or divorced adult males, teenage males,
Continued on page 2 Get involved…Jumpstart your summer…Get out of
the house for some exercise and family fun. Call the
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Ward Office for more info 773.846.7006. Don’t forget
your helmet. Co-sponsored by: Lyle for Kids (a 501(c) 3 not for
Pg. 1 Aldermanic Message profit org.)
Annual 6th Ward Bike Ride
Pg. 2 Aldermanic Message Con’t.
Dorothy Irene Height, Women’s Rights & Civil Rights Icon
Refreshments will be
Pg. 3 FYI and Save the Date served during and after
Pg. 4 2010 Census Chicago We’re Counting on You the bike ride. That hot
Vehicle & Residential Zone Sticker Sales dog looks good!
Public Meeting of the Police Board
Aldermanic Message Con’t

Newsletter 1
 Aldermanic Message continued
non-working adults, poor people, persons with criminal
histories and single parents have all been associated (not
the cause) with higher rates of violent crime. To clarify,
single parent households are not the cause of crime. But a
community with a high percentage of single parent
households reduces the capacity of a community to
maintain adult networks of informal control of children.
Translation, there are not enough men in the village to keep
the children in check. Further aggravating that shortage is
the fact that unsupervised young males gravitate to other
unsupervised young males, and since delinquency is well-
known to be a group phenomenon, we have gangs.
Other risk factors are the pattern of "oppositional
culture" that rejects our mores and values, our standards of
decorum and dress, our language, our music, our lifestyles,
and our belief in cleanliness and our general belief in
marriage, family, education, work and obedience to the law.
Other generations rejected their parents’ mores by wearing
naturals, burning their bras and acting stupid. Today,
efforts to gain "respect" in oppositional cultures require that
young people drop out of school, hang out, and be tough.
And no, it’s not all of the youth who wear baggy pants.
In fact, in Seattle, gang members comprised only 15% of
the sample, but accounted for 85% of all robberies
committed during grades 7 to 12, and 62% of all drug
selling. The danger to our community is that this small
percentage of our youth is destroying our communities,
endangering our children and reversing our very progress as
a people. On average, 16 persons between the ages of 10
and 24 are murdered each day in the United States and
youth violence affects communities by increasing the cost
of health care, reducing productivity, decreasing property
values, and disrupting social services.
We’re at a tipping point in the history of our
neighborhoods. As long as high-risk families or persons
are in a minority, their low risk neighbors are able to
exercise a community protective factor against violent
crime. When high risk families become a majority in many
urban communities, a spiral of crime and the fear of crime
leads to a loss of middle class residents and jobs. This in
turn increases the concentration of unemployed and poor
people, followed by further increases in crime.
So what do we do?
As a community:
Clean-up, fix-up and keep pressing the City, landlords and
banks to live up to their obligations. Report bad/raggedy
run down buildings, garages and houses to our office or
311. Mail your neighbors copies of the Ordinances about
selling on their front lawn and allowing their grass to grow
3 feet high. Mail a copy of the Ordinance about selling on
the sidewalks to the businesses you see in the neighborhood
and report those that violate even the smallest violations
continued on pg. 4
Newsletter 2
Remembering
Dorothy
Irene Height
Women’s Rights
&
Civil Rights Icon
1912 – 2010
Dorothy Irene Height was born in Richmond,
Virginia, on March 24, 1912. When Dorothy Height was
very young, the family moved to Rankin, Pennsylvania,
not far from Pittsburgh, where she attended integrated
schools. Although she taught Bible stories to white
children at her church, she was hurt at the age of nine
when her best friend, a white girl, told her that she could
not play with her any longer because Height was black.
As a high school student, Height made a speech about
slavery amendments to the U.S. Constitution that won her
a scholarship to the college of her choice. Although she
was accepted at Barnard College in New York City,
when she showed up to enroll there, she was told the
college's quota for blacks had been filled. Instead, she
enrolled in New York University, where she earned a
bachelor's degree in social sciences and a master's degree
in educational psychology.
Following Height's graduation, she became a welfare
caseworker. As an employee of the New York Welfare
Department, Height helped the city deal with the 1935
Harlem riots. She emerged as one of the leaders in the
National Youth Movement during President Franklin
Roosevelt's New Deal years.
The "godmother of the civil rights movement" never
wasted a second on her quest to make the black family
stronger. She sacrificed her own opportunity to marry and
have children to open the door for other women to have
happy families of their own. As one of the sponsors of
the Black Family Reunion, an event that takes place in
Washington DC, Height has helped strengthen one of the
most important institutions within the African American
community.
Ms. Height's affiliation with The National Council for
Negro Women is nothing short of legendary. Chairing the
organization for 50 years, Height helped shape the vision
and inspiration for millions of women, their children and
their grandchildren. She was even prepared to head to the
White House with Al Sharpton, Marc Morial and Ben
Jealous this year to meet with President Obama. Only a
snow storm of historic proportions could slow down the
98-year-old who never stopped creating storms of her
own.
Ms. Height, who died April 20, was the 10th National
President of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

F. Y. I.
F. Y. I.
Protect Your Identity… Don’t throw important
documents in the trash or the recycle bin. Illinois
Service Federal will have a document management
company come to both of the banks parking lots to shred
your documents for FREE while you watch. Come to
either location, 4619 S. King Dr. or 8700 S. King Dr. on
Sat. May 8, 2010 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and
1:00 p.m. Limit your document shredding to 100 lbs per
person. First Come, first serve.
Community Re-entry Support Centers…The Chicago
Department of Family and Support Services’
Community Reentry Support Centers can assist ex-
offenders in achieving self-sufficiency while
successfully reintegrating into local communities. The
City’s Reentry Support Centers offer dedicated staff who
can help individuals obtain Workforce Training,
Housing Assistance, Health Services, Food Assistance,
and other services as needed. To speak to a counselor or
to schedule as appointment contact the Westside Health
Authority, 5816 W. Division, 773-664-0612 or
Teamwork Englewood, 747 W. 63rd St., Bldg. V, Room
122, 773-602-4513.
Full Service Expungement Summit…The Honorable
Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook
County will host an Adult and Juvenile Expungement
Summit, Sat., June 5, 2010 at Eisenhower High School,
12700 S. Sacramento, Blue Island, IL. Registration
begins at 8:30 a.m. and the event ends at 6:00 p.m.
Volunteer attorneys will be on site to helpFrom
with the 6th Ward Alderman & Staff:
expungement and sealing
Alderman Lyle, Francine, Vinona,on
applications. Information
employment, job training, health care and other services
for ex-offenders will be available. For more information,
visit www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org or call
312.603.5696.
Summer Events in the City…It’s time for fun in the sun.
Enjoy your City while attending these annual events.
Gospel Music Fest, June 5-6, Millennium Park
Blues Fest, June 11-13, Grant Park
Taste of Chicago, June 25-July 4, Grant Park
Air and Water Show, Aug. 14-15, North Ave. Beach
Jazz Fest, September 4-5, Grant Park
Country Music Fest, October 8-9, Millennium Park
Newsletter 3
Watch the 6th Ward Scene
CAN-TV Channel 19
Thursday, April 1 & 15, 6:00 p.m.
Guest: Rev. Booker Vance & Amisha Patel
Good Jobs Chicago
SAVE THE DATE!!!
Shred-O-Rama
Saturday, May 8, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Illinois Service Federal – Parking Lots
4619 S. King Dr. 773.624.2000
8700 S. King Dr. 773.224.2160
Independent Police Review Authority
Tuesday, May 11, 2010, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Woodson Library 9525 S. Halsted.
To RSVP call 312.745.3609 or send
email to curtis.tarver@iprachicago.org.
6th Ward Property Tax Appeal Forum
Wednesday, May 12, 2010, 6:00 p.m.
Harlan High School - 9652 S. Michigan
Hyde Park Township-
PLEASE BRING YOUR TAX BILL
Annual 6th Ward Bike Ride
Saturday, June 5, 2010, 9:00 a.m.
Meyering Park, 7140 S. King Dr. to
Tuley Park, 501 E. 90th Pl.
Return to Meyering Park for refreshments
Full Service Expungement Summit
Saturday, June 5, 2010 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Eisenhower High School
12700 Sacramento Ave., Blue Island, IL
City of Chicago Vehicle Sticker &
Residential Zone Parking Sticker Sale
Tuesday, July 13, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
6th Ward Office – 406 E. 75th St.
Annual 6th Ward Family Picnic & Marketplace
Rosemary, Richard, Sherrod,
Saturday, JulyMichael and 11:00
17, 2010, Keith a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tuley Park – 501 E. 90th Pl. (King Dr.)
FREE food, entertainment & fun!
6th Ward Monthly Meeting
Saturday, June 12, 2010, 10:00 a.m.
St. Columbanus Church
331 E. 71st St.
Thursday, July 8, 2010, 6:30 p.m.
Northern Trust Bank
7801 S. State St.
NO MEETING IN AUGUST

For the first time, the Census Bureau is tracking in
real-time the percentage of forms mailed back by
households. Check the website at
http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/. Make
sure your neighborhood is counted!
Participate by mailing back your Census form and
reminding your friends, family and community. The
Census is important to your future and Chicago’s future.
Vehicle &
Residential
Zone Sticker
Sales at the
6th Ward
Office
The City Clerk’s office will sell Vehicle and
Residential Zone Stickers as well as Parking Guest Book
Stickers in the 6th Ward Office once again this year on:
Tuesday, July 13th, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
For more information, call 773.846.7006
This service is provided for your convenience by
Alderman Freddrenna Lyle &
The City Clerk of Chicago.
PUBLIC MEETING OF THE POLICE BOARD
The next public meeting of the Police Board is
scheduled for Thursday, May 20, 2010, at 7:30 p.m.,
Chicago Police Headquarters, 3510 South Michigan
Avenue.
Members of the public are invited to attend and
address questions or comments to the Board. The
Superintendent of Police and the Chief Administrator of
the Independent Police Review Authority also attend the
meeting.
Prior sign-up is required of those wishing to address
the Board contact the Board’s office by 4:30 p.m. of the
day before the meeting to add your name to the list of
speakers.
In addition to receiving input from the community, the
Board reports on disciplinary actions and other matters,
and receives a report from the Superintendent.
Newsletter 4
Aldermanic Message con’t from pg. 2
to the Department of Business Affairs. The famous
“broken windows” theory may constitute a way to break
the cycle of community violence. Minor signs of neglect
and disrepair, such as abandoned buildings and cars and
street litter, send a message of neglect and absence of
community behavioral standards. As a result, gang
activities, drug markets, prostitution, and violent crime
worsen. “Zero tolerance” policies that crack down on
these minor offenses are based on the broken windows
theory.
Take back our public spaces, get your friends and
neighbors and the neighbors on the next block to make a
‘play date’ at your closest park. If you have a problem
with young people hanging around on your block in the
evenings, agree that everyone go out at the same time and
sit on their porches and/or water their lawn. Thugs don’t
sell drugs where people are watching. And speaking of
watching, we are asking for one person on each block to
be our block contact. That person can call us with the
addresses of that bad house that’s causing chaos on your
block. We’ll make the police report if you are concerned
about anonymity.
Light up your alleys. Motion sensor lights don’t cost
that much and most criminals will keep driving if the
alley is all lit up. If you have a burglar alarm, upgrade to
a back up battery system. If you don’t have one but can
afford the expense, get one with cameras installed.
Be nosey neighbors. Watch your neighbor’s back. If you
hear a car in the alley go look out the window. If your
neighbors are usually at work and you see some guys
moving TVs out the back door, call 911 immediately. If
you see unfamiliar folks sitting in a car on your block for
30, 40, 50 minutes, call 911. If you see drug dealing, call
the police (even if they don’t get there in time to arrest
anyone), that’s how we justify a need for service. It’s
based on calls to 911.
These are the short term; make us safe solutions, while
we work on the long term, causes of crime, solutions.
For those we need to get everyone who can be involved,
to get involved immediately. The future of our families,
communities and people are at stake.
Freddrenna Lyle
See you next month!
Your monthly message from
Freddrenna M. Lyle, 6th Ward
Alderman and Committeeman
Service Office 406 East 75th Street, Chicago, IL 60619
(773) 846-7006 (773) 846-9104 fax
Email Address: ward06@cityofchicago.org
Website Address: www.6thwardalderman.com