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Dear Neighbors,
I hope everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend with family and friends. It was great to see so many neighbors of all ages out at the WOOGMS Memorial Day Parade - thank you to everyone who came out to march!
Memorial Day serves as an important reminder to pause and reflect on the brave men and women who have given their lives in service to our country. We also extend our gratitude to our current service members, veterans, and military families for their continued service.
Recently, there were several arrests made in an incident that happened just outside of our Ward involving the group that refers to themselves as the "Lakeview Goons." In response to a robbery and beating that took place on April 4th, four more teenage boys were arrested this past week, in addition to one who was charged shortly after the attack. All are juveniles with no previous arrest record. Due to the age of the suspects, only the victim will be able to attend court proceedings. There have been reports of this group causing trouble along the Southport Corridor in the 44th Ward dating back to summer 2024. We will continue to share updates as we receive them.
 
Two great events will be returning to Southport Plaza along the Lakeview Low-Line in the coming weeks. First, the Low Line Famers Market returns to this Tuesday, June 2nd. Running through September on Tuesdays from 3-7pm, this farmers market under the Southport Brown Line has a variety of fresh food and produce options. You can find a full list of vendors here.
The following week, on Saturday June 13th, the Southport Neighbors Association will have its Native Plant Sale. The sale will feature native flowers, grasses, and sedges that support our local ecosystem. All proceeds of the sale benefit the Southport Neighbors Association's Native Corner Plot Initiative. You can learn more about the sale here.
 
Last week at City Council I introduced two ordinances to extend and fill in gaps in the Ward's existing Pedestrian Streets along Clark and Belmont. Pedestrian streets are a zoning tool intended to preserve and strengthen existing walkable commercial corridors that support local businesses, neighborhood activity, transit use, and pedestrian safety. Importantly, this designation does not close the street to vehicles. Instead, it establishes development standards for future construction and redevelopment projects along the corridor. The areas that would be extended under these new ordinances are 3000-3432 Clark, 3600-3800 Clark, and 531-800 Belmont. You can view the ordinance for the Clark additions here and the Belmont additions here.
As we head into June and Pride Month celebrations, the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce and the Northalsted Business Alliance have complied guides to help you celebrate all month long. You can also view the official Pride site here for information on Pride Fest on June 20th & 21st, the Pride Parade on Sunday June 28th, as well as the Pride volunteer application.
Happy graduation to all of the 44th Ward graduates that are part of the class of 2026! I wish you the best in the next chapter of your lives!
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Have a great weekend,
Alderman Bennett Lawson
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Upcoming Alley Resurfacing
Two alley's and two alley aprons will be resurfaced in the coming weeks:
Alleys: Grind date is 6/11 for both, weather permitting.
- E/W alley between W. Buckingham, N. Halsted, W. Aldine, N. Clark
- N/S alley between W. School, N. Racine, W. Melrose, and N. Lakewood
Alley Aprons: Grind date is 6/9 for both, weather permitting. Estimated repair is 6/25.
- 815 W. Buckingham
- 1142 W. Cornelia
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Wellington/Oakdale Greenway
The revised proposal for the Wellington/Oakdale is up for review and we appreciate constructive feedback. You can find a larger version of the flyer provided on my website here.
To submit feedback, you can email [email protected] or call my office at 773-525-6034.
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Reporting Potholes
You can report potholes in streets and alleys through 311 here. If possible, please upload images as well so crews are able to identify the exact location.
For more severe potholes that may need immediate attention, please reach out to my ward office either by email ([email protected]) and include the location and images of the pothole or by calling the office at (773-525-6034).
If your vehicle was damaged due to a pothole, you may be entitled to a financial claim here.
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Chi Street Work Portal
Have questions about street work happening in your area?
The Department of Transportation has a tool called the Chi Street Work Portal where you can input an address and see all surrounding permits for projects on that street.
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Divvy Bikes & E-Scooters
We are excited to share that we now have a total of 26 E-Scooter & Divvy Bike docking stations in the 44th Ward!
Reporting Scooter & Divvy Bike Removals
If you see Divvy Bikes or E-Scooters that are not properly returned to a docking station, please report this to 311 here. By contract, shared bike and scooter companies must remove their property within two hours of a 311 removal request. We appreciate your assistance in helping keep our neighborhood clean.
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Garbage & Recycling
The next recycling pick-up for the 44th Ward is the week of June 8th. You can find your full garbage and recycling pick up schedule here.
Recycling information is now also available through Chicago's Recycle Coach App. You can learn more about the app here.
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To submit a small business for our weekly shoutout, please complete the form here.
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19th District Weekly Report:
May 18th - May 24th
My office is in regular contact with the 19th Police District about crimes that have occurred recently in our area and that are reflected in the statistics below. The majority of 19th District crimes have occurred outside of our ward. The 19th District also includes the surrounding neighborhoods of Uptown, Lincoln Park, Roscoe Village, Bricktown, Ravenswood, and Lincoln Square.
Please view our website's public safety page here for both proactive measures to stay safe before crimes occur, and also how to respond in the event of a crime. In order to stay safe, please find the the full list of CPD's safety tips here, as well as tips for personal safety, robberies, and vehicles.
Below you'll find Week 21's CompStat breakdown of crime in the 19th District.
Please note, these statistics are a reflection of the entire 19th District. The boundaries are from Lawrence Ave to Fullerton Ave, from the Chicago River to the Lake.
Here are the key points:
- Year to Date, Robberies are down 37%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 are down 38%
- Year to Date, Aggravated Battery is up 17%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 is up 20%
- Year to Date, Burglaries are down 34%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 15%
- Year to Date, Thefts are up 16%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're up 7%
- Year to Date, Motor Vehicle Thefts are up 10%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 2%
For a list of crime definitions, please see CPD's website here.
See full report below:
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Upcoming Meetings
Community Meetings With CPD (‘Beat Meetings’):
Beat meetings are part of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) and are an opportunity to speak directly with CPD officers about your neighborhood. The officers review incidents that have occurred as well as an overview of crime statistics. Find your beat here and view the beat meeting schedule below or in our ward calendar.
19th Police District Council
The 19th Police District Council holds monthly meetings. To view all upcoming meetings, you can visit the 19th Police District Council website here.
The next meeting is:
Tuesday, June 30th 6:30 PM
Topic: TBD
Sulzer Library
4455 N Lincoln Ave.
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Other Public Safety Alerts
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Honda Air Bag Thefts:
The Chicago Police Department continues to see reports of air bag thefts from Hondas in the area.
CPD officers have noted, however, that visible anti-theft devices such as steering wheel clubs have proven to be an effective deterrent, with many of the protected vehicles often being passed over even when neighboring cars were targeted.
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Illinois Secretary of State & DMV Scam Text Scams:
There continues to be a rise in fraudulent text messages that claim to be from the Illinois Secretary of State or DMV. These texts often use urgent language, threaten license suspension, registration holds, or legal action in an attempt to trick you into clicking a link or paying an alleged fine. Learn more on the Illinois Secretary of State website here.
Vehicle Theft Tactic Alert:
We want to make neighbors aware of a vehicle theft tactic that has been seen in other cities and may become more common here. Thieves are targeting newer “push-to-start” vehicles by using technology to capture and amplify the signal from a key fob—sometimes from outside a home—to unlock and start the car in seconds. From other cities' observations, this is more likely to occur when vehicles are parked close to a residence and when key fobs are stored near doors or windows facing the street. To help protect your vehicle, consider keeping your key fob farther inside your home, using a signal-blocking pouch, or parking further away.
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Mental Health Response Resources
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PORCHFEST - MAY 31ST
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KIDS BIKE PARADE - JUNE 13TH
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SOUTHPORT NEIGHBORS NATIVE PLANT SALE - JUNE 13TH
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DINE OUT ON BROADWAY - JUNE 12-14, JULY 10-12, AUGUST 21-23
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HAWTHORNE MOVIE NIGHTS - JUNE 5TH & AUGUST 9TH
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Merlo Library - Upcoming Programs
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- Clothing Swap - 5/30, 2:00pm-4:30pm (all ages)
- Movement Games - 6/1, 4:00pm-6:00pm (grades 7-12)
- Film Screening: The Odd Couple (1968) - 6/1, 5:00pm-7:00pm (13 years and up)
- Open Art Studio - 6/2, 3:30pm-5:30pm (13-19 years)
- Power Up Thursdays - 6/4, 3:30pm-5:30pm (grades 7-12)
- Click for all program details
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Click here for a full list of Chicago farmers markets.
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Donation Pages & Volunteer Opportunities
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TUBMAN PLAYGROUND
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CHICAGO ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL
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PRIDE Chicago Volunteer Application
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR STATUS - JUNE 4TH
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EMERGENCY FAMILY PLANNING - JUNE 10TH & 17TH
(June 10th - English, June 17th - Spanish)
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SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE - JUNE 1ST - 7TH
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CHICAGO FIRE DEPT: CAMP COURAGE
(June 15th - July 29th, various locations)
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FREE VIRTUAL LEGAL SEMINARS
(Next on 6/17 covering Guardianship & Power of Attorney)
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ST TERESA FOOD PANTRY
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FURNITURE REMOVAL
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The City is Hiring
Looking for a job? Try working for the City! Click here to see the full list of job openings currently seeking applicants.
Local government employment opportunities:
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OEMC - Accepting Applications Through July 31st!
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