Page 45 - December 2020

9th District Officers celebrate their students
Sabrina King, 9th District Community Policing Officer, worked with other officers and community supporters to organize the Hold onto Your Dreams Graduation Ceremony on July 10 to celebrate the accomplishments of youth in a time where a pandemic has halted such celebrations.
The ceremony, held at Chicago Indoor Sports on Ashland Ave- nue, saw many 9th District officers, including Commander Don Jerome, gathered in front of a sea of caps and gowns. Thirty-three students of all ages,
ethnicities and back-
grounds were recog-
nized for their strength
and perseverance.
“The point was to give them the oppor- tunity to do something they really wanted to do but weren’t able to because of COVID-19,” explained King.
4th District leads citywide unity prayer
Eric “Krunch” Davis in the 4th District connected the city during a unity prayer service on Aug. 7, after officers mourned the tragic suicide of an officer and three more officers shot in the 25th dis- trict a week earlier.
He organized the citywide unity prayer by calling the faith- based liaisons in the districts and telling them that they could lead the prayers in their own way, but that the ultimate goal was to be united in prayer across diverse faiths.
As a result, 14 districts participated in the event at 6 p.m., pow- erfully bringing together law enforcement and the community.
“It’s always been everybody unified, together, because we all know we want to change the narrative in our community,” Davis shared. “I get the en-
ergy to do it because I
know it’s helping peo- ple. It’s helping people to know their neigh- bors, and it’s helping us by letting us know what’s going on. That’s what keeps me going.”
10th District members ride for peace in their neighborhoods
Four-hundred cyclists from across Chicago — including FOP Lodge 7 members in the 10th District — went on a nine-mile, two- hour bike ride as part of the 2020 Street Love Ride on Aug. 15.
The event, organized by the nonprofit Boxing Out Negativity, sought to highlight peace and unity throughout the district and be- tween community members.
The event kickoff included a community expo and cookout. Offi- cers had conversations with residents about team building, rather than about engaging in malicious damage to Chicago neighbor- hoods.
“What we’re doing is not only building relationships, we’re building a better tomorrow,” explained 10th District Officer Dave Vazquez. “We try to find commonality with everyone. Where there’s two or more
gathered, there’s strength. And we want that strength within our neighbor- hoods, as well.”
Community music-making in the 11th District
Officers in the 11th District sponsored a pop-up music and re- source fair on Sept. 5 as part of a weekend-long initiative to meet and engage with community members.
The event lined the streets with food from local restaurants and vendors, socially distanced games and ice cream from the Ice Cream Bar. There was also live music by Nesbitt & Friends.
The day before the pop-up concert, officers in the 11th District attended an “On the Block” event in Humboldt Park to kick off the weekend of interacting
with community mem-
bers. Officers carried ba- bies, helped kids tie-dye shirts and danced in the middle of the street with the residents.
Districts respond and increase awareness of domestic violence
Following an increase in do- mestic violence incidents, sev- eral districts honored Domestic Violence Awareness Month with events held in the city through- out October.
“What I want to get out there is
that you’re not alone,” noted Yes-
enia Rodriguez, the 11th District domestic violence liaison officer. “It’s important to stick to resources and mention to other officers, ‘Let’s just look out for each other and for the community.’ Look for the signs and get them help.”
A number of districts — especially those with domestic violence subcommittees — held rallies, walks and other informational events, in hopes of aiding victims and preventing future incidents.
The 11th District held a COVID-19 domestic violence awareness webinar with the Cook County Justice Center, an awareness walk through Garfield Park and victim empowerment training.
The 25th District held a domestic violence walk and rally, and the 14th and 15th Districts displayed purple ribbons around their communities.
Alderman Matt O’Shea honors 22nd District lifesaving response
Officers Matthew Alvarado and Marseilla Collins of the 22nd Dis- trict executed a fast-acting response at Lumes Pancake House on Aug. 30, which saved the lives of four individuals.
The individuals were impacted by gunfire during the fatal shoot- ing of a 31-year-old man during the incident.
The two officers “immediately ran to render medical aid to two different shooting victims,” Alderman Matt O’Shea shared. “With- out their quick action, the individual may
have bled out.”
O’Shea set up a meeting on Sept. 1 to recognize Alvarado’s and Collins’ life-sav- ing efforts, stating that local news media did not shed enough light on these officers.
He praised Alvarado, who has 14 years on the job, and Collins, a new recruit, for arriving first on the scene and keeping the four gunshot victims stable until they were ready to be transported to the hospital.
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