Page 55 - May 2017 Newsletter

Ci co e ayo esta elco es se iors
n BY NICK SWEDBERG
In a continuation of its goal to connect with area senior citizens, the 24th District CAPS office rolled out its first-ever Cinco de Mayo celebration on May 5.
The event combined food, music and fun along with a re- minder to the public, and older residents in particular, that Chicago Police Officers in the Rogers Park-based district and around the City are there to help them in a variety of ways. The message was also aimed at addressing the fears of some in the diverse community that officers are in the business of deporting immigrants, according to 24th District CAPS Community Organizer Mayra Gomez.
“We needed to reassure them that the Chicago Police are not a part of immigration,” Gomez said.
To create an audience for the party, Gomez and CAPS invited seniors and others from surrounding districts – the 17th, 19th and 20th – to the Broadway Armory. The event drew hundreds of people, some from neighborhoods as far away as Humboldt Park.
“It was beyond a huge turnout. We didn’t have enough chairs. We didn’t have enough tables,” Gomez said.
Everyone in attendance was encouraged to report trouble to police, who Gomez said have always had an open-door policy designed to help people – especially the elderly.
“They can become victimized with scams, and they fail to call
the police,” Gomez said of the area’s older residents. “If they are afraid to talk to someone in a uniform, they can talk to me.” d
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MAY 2017 55