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Boystown Assault Update: Tunney Proposes Special Police Unit, CAPS Meeting Heated

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jul 7, 2011 1:12PM

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The fallout and damage control from last weekend's assault in Boystown caught on video continues. Hundreds of residents attended last night's CAPS meeting at Inter-American Elementary Magnet School last night to grill police and 44th Ward Ald. Tom Tunney about what they perceive as an increase in violence in the neighborhood. The questions from residents for Tunney and police ranged from "what will be done about it now" to NIMBY, while a small group of protestors outside the meeting argued that Boystown residents are unfairly blaming the attacks on young minorities from outside the neighborhood.

Tunney and police separately said that violence in the neighborhood isn't new and that crime overall in Boystown has been steady and under control. Earlier yesterday, Tunney proposed a special police unit be formed to patrol the area of Halsted that's been the center of the recent attacks. Tunney said this proposed unit, similar to one that patrolled Rush Street years ago, would assist beat officers in high volume entertainment areas.

“We have been dealing with late night crime on our streets for years. As a victim of a robbery myself, I understand everyone’s concern, and I share it,” Tunney said.