Lakeview fights to reduce violent crime

Last Saturday, a 24-year-old was stabbed around 3 a.m. in Lakeview.  Two suspects are in custody and the victim is in good condition, as reported by the Chicago Tribune, but the fourth stabbing in a month only adds to the community’s growing unrest.

Just over two weeks ago, more than 700 concerned Lakeview residents packed a violence forum to express growing concern about violence in the community. Alderman Tom Tunney said that the department has stepped up night patrol officers in response to the recent violent crimes, according to the Chicago Tribune.

A timeline by WBEZ shows that Boystown has been the location of dozens of assaults, robberies, muggings and batteries since April.  But the attack captured on video by Boystown resident Rob Sall on July 3 finally brought the debate over class and race to a boil.

The community has also turned to social media to voice concerns on pages such as “Take Back Boystown.” The Facebook page, which has at least 3,747 “likes,” says it aims to bring attention to the recent string of violent crimes and act as a venue for suggestions.

Though some have scapegoated the Center on Halsted Youth Program that offers a safe haven for people ages 13-24 who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or questioning their sexuality, police say they’ve found no correlation, as reported by WBEZ.

Read what others are saying about the recent events in Lakeview: