South Side Campout Honors Slain Cop, Takes Back Park

By Prescott Carlson in News on Sep 4, 2010 7:10PM

Mayor Daley is fond of telling city residents that the Chicago Police Department needs help and that citizens, too, need to be responsible for cleaning up crime on the city streets and helping to curb violence. One group took those words into action last night on the South Side, where they conducted a campout in Nat King Cole Park at 85th Street & King Drive in honor of slain police officer Thomas Wortham.

Tents reportedly dotted the park lawn as residents got together and socialized, with some telling ABC7 that the event marked their first ever camping experience. Wortham's father, Thomas Wortham, Sr., said him and Wortham's mother, Carolyn, are taking action to clean up the park as that was one of their son's goals -- he had also served as president of the advisory council for Cole Park. Wortham, Sr., was quoted as saying:

"The main reason we are here tonight is because we want you to feel safe in this park at all times. We want you to come here and have fun."

Wortham was shot and killed in May of this year outside his parents' home in the Chatham neighborhood when three men attempted to steal his motorcycle. Wortham, Sr., a retired police officer himself, returned fire at the three suspects, managing to shoot two of the robbers, killing one.