1st Ward Newsletter | September 2, 2025
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Dear neighbors,
It was so much fun sharing the street with so many of you at the first ever Meet Me on Milwaukee! Across more than a half mile of the corridor, I got to see children biking down the middle of the street, friends unexpectedly running into each other, and so many businesses out on the sidewalk. For all of our preparation, it was so many unexpected things that brought me the most joy: ducks, chalk art, and much more!
My sincere thanks to the Wicker Park / Bucktown Chamber of Commerce, the 14th District Police (particularly Sgt. Lauesen!), the Department of Transportation, and our incredible volunteers for making the day a success. Additional thanks to Yescenia Mota at Cultural Affairs and Special Events; Officer Seth Wiselogel at 14th District police; and State Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado's team for a last minute save with our shirts.Â
Please help make our September and October events even better by filling out our feedback form on Sunday's event. Â
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I also want to thank the more than fifteen hundred Chicagoans who have responded to our Equity in Enforcement Recommendations Survey, including so many from the 1st Ward! You may have seen that Chicago's automated enforcement speed cameras generated more tickets in June than any month in the past three years, with six of the top ten cameras operating on the South and West Sides. When cameras like those at 10540 S. Western are generating more than 11,000 citations a month, Chicagoans are justified in their skepticism of whether we're more interested in revenue than the safety of their streets or their ability to pay. On September 22nd, the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety will review a host of recommendationsâinformed by data, advocates, and everyday Chicagoansâto determine how we can improve the transparency, the effectiveness, and the equity of these cameras. I hope you'll tune in.Â
Finally, you may see myself and my staff out over the next few weeks surveying sites for new tree planting. We will be putting in a concerted effort over the next months (and potentially years) to reforest areas of the ward that have lost their tree canopy. You may find a flyer on your door gauging your interest in a new tree but if you think your parkway is a good candidateânew power lines overhead, five feet from water infrastructure, ten feet from other treesâyou can kick start the process at the1stward.com/requestatree.
Have a great week!
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In this week's newsletter, you'll find:
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Public Safety Protocol Reminder
The 1st Ward Office received recent communications from residents over the last month regarding concerns about violent crime in West Town and vehicle theft / property damage concerns in Logan Square and West Town Community Areas. Alderman La Spata and our office work with our residents to ensure our neighborhoods have the resources needed to keep everyone safe. As a reminder, you should:
- Call 911 if you ever witness a violent crime or threat to public safety, or hear gunshots
- Call our office to let us know you called 911.
911 calls are the proper way to route emergency services because when we follow up with police, they are aware of any alleged issues and either have calls for service records or direct follow-up information on any potential incident.
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Gender-Based Violence Hearing
In addition to this protocol, Alderman La Spata continues to work with Gender Based Violence advocates on a potential hearing at the Committee on Health and Human Relations.Â
While public discussions of crime generally note that most categories of violent crime are down citywide, throughout the year violent crime incidents coded as "domestic" incidents are either rising (homicide), steady (vehicular hijacking) or remain historically high (battery). Therefore, it is crucial to advocate for continued services to prevent gender-based violence, so that all Chicagoans can feel safe at home and out in our neighborhoods.Â
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OIG Reports
The Office of the Inspector General regularly issues audits related to City services and public safety matters, including assessing the City's compliance with the consent decree regarding policing, and other matters related to efficiencies and corruption.Â
Recently, the OIG released the following publications that are related to or adjacent to public safety:
The OIG is also publishes a dashboard for police overtime and staffing levels, so you can study specific overtime allocations (and the reasons for overtime) and staffing levels on a given day. You can access this and more information at the OIG's public safety dashboard.
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